SeqNet.org is an initiative of microbiological laboratories founded in Germany in 2004. SeqNet.org is an international network of excellence for sequence based typing of microbial pathogens. The main goal of SeqNet.org is to establish unambiguous, electronic, portable, easily comparable typing data for local infection control and national and international surveillance of sentinel micro-organisms, such as e.g. MRSA.

This is achieved (1) by harmonization of laboratory (typing) methods and building capacity for DNA sequencing in diagnostic microbiology, (2) by establishing quality control/quality assessment for sequence typing, (3) by improving the general access to sequence based microbial typing results and the transfer of data at international level, (4) by dissemination of the projects results through a web-portal, and (5) by publication in international peer-review journals.

The SeqNet.org initiative is consistent with the INICC’s vision to built capacity for surveillance and control of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. While SeqNet.org is focussing on microbiological and molecular surveillance, INICC is focussing specifically on the epidemiological and clinical surveillance. These complementary efforts underline the usefulness of such collaboration, representing the way how infection control practitioners, hospital epidemiologists and microbiologists should work together on a daily basis.

To include your institution as a SeqNet.org member, please refer to http://www.seqnet.org

or contact via email the SeqNet.org coordinator alexf@uni-muenster.de