This fully updated edition includes the novel identification, detection, and typing technologies that are transforming the field of diagnostic testing. The authors, working at the forefront of diagnostic test development, highlight these new technologies and describe current and future molecular diagnostic tests and related nucleic acid extraction methods. The protocols range from advanced molecular detection, quantification, and typing systems, to protocols for diagnostic protein identification, serological testing, and cell culture-based assays. The emphasis is on nucleic acid-based diagnostics and alternative biochemically- and immunologically-based formats that can provide significant potential for multiparameter testing and automation.