[Comment] Genomics to function: integrating rapid metagenomics with quorum-sensing biosensing for precision infectious disease management

Microbial disease detection is central to addressing the global problem of antimicrobial resistance. We still depend on the gold standard microbial culturing technique to detect infection-causing pathogens. Rapid detection of pathogens helps to guide patient care with appropriate antibiotics and thereby minimises the risk of resistance development. In this regard, several techniques have been proposed for the effective detection of pathogens. The most recent addition is the technique proposed by Adela Alcolea-Medina and colleagues,1 published in 2025 in The Lancet Microbe, which emphasises the tremendous potential of rapid pan-microbial metagenomics for identifying broad-spectrum infections in the intensive care unit (ICU).