 Since the human genome was first mapped, how our genetic makeup varies from one person to another has been the subject of countless studies. One important result of these efforts is the field of molecular diagnostics. With the capacity to identify specific genetic variations in patients, molecular diagnostics represents an invaluable toolkit for today's health professionals, who can now chart highly individualized treatment plans for their patients. Molecular diagnostics can be used to detect and monitor disease, to detect the risk for disease, and to help health care professionals determine the best forms of therapy for their patients. To explore where the rapid growth in molecular diagnostics has taken medicine, LabRoutes is hosting its inaugural Molecular Diagnostics Virtual Conference. Participants are invited to listen to and interact with leaders in the molecular diagnostics community as they discuss the applications, challenges, and implications of a wide range of techniques spanning this growing field. Keynote speaker Dr. John W. Longshore, Director of Molecular Pathology at the Carolina's Pathology Group, discusses recent progress in using genetic markers to select appropriate cancer therapies. With the goal of helping cancer patients gain access to high-quality biomarker testing, Dr. Longshore reviews the various steps of this therapy selection process, from tissue acquisition and processing, to result reporting. Dr. Raiad Samara, Global Product Manager at KIAGEN, delves deeper into the topic of disease monitoring by examining the challenges associated with the sensitivity and specificity of genetic assays. Focusing on next-generation sequencing and liquid biopsies in particular, Dr. Samara describes how KIAGEN has overcome these challenges in analyzing genetic variation. Dr. Ed Baker, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Roche Molecular Diagnostics, describes one area of molecular diagnostics that has successfully addressed its own set of challenges, cervical cancer screening. Dr. Baker discusses how screening guidelines for physicians have evolved from being experience-based to being data-driven, and what these changes mean for molecular laboratories and OB-GYN physicians. Of course, the power of molecular diagnostics extends beyond cancer monitoring and detection. Dr. Rodney Arsenaes, Clinical Scientist at Pathology Consultants of South Brewerd, explains how molecular diagnostics can be used to manage healthcare-associated infections, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. The identification of patients with MRSA is crucial to limiting the transmission of infection through healthcare workers. Dr. Arsenaes describes how molecular diagnostics has helped establish an active MRSA surveillance program in a large community healthcare system. Together, these keynote and featured speakers, along with a host of other scientists and healthcare professionals, provide an overview of the current state of molecular diagnostics. By recounting their successes and struggles at the virtual conference hosted by lab roots, they provide valuable lessons for the entire molecular diagnostics community.