Malaria Profiler Is Now Available

We have developed an online software tool and methodology that provides rapid analysis of genome sequence data to describe Plasmodium species and geographical source and predict resistance to antimalarial drugs. The tool utilises a library consisting of ~ 250 mutations that is the most comprehensive and accurate such data source yet reported. The ability to rapidly analyse raw sequence data and extract information of clinical relevance has advantages over current in vitro drug assays, which require parasite culture-based systems. Accelerated access to tailored treatment could improve cure rates and reduce exposure to ineffective drugs, thereby improving the patient experience and facilitating compliance. The analytical methodology described is customisable to allow moderation of the library to encompass novel mutations and incorporate new drugs should the need arise. Overall, we have shown that Malaria-Profiler can be used to reliably predict Plasmodium species, geographical source, and drug resistance from WGS. This pipeline can be applied to data from multiple sequencing platforms and can support informatically the application of WGS as a diagnostic and surveillance tool.