Rapid detection and identification of fungi from clinical specimens and culture isolates has become increasingly important as the numbers of patients susceptible to these infections continues to grow. Fortunately, new assays have been recently developed to aid early diagnosis and guide appropriate empiric anti-fungal therapy. Major improvement has been focused on direct detection of fungal antigen in specimens (e.g., galactomannan and beta glucan); rapid culture-based identification methods including chromogenic Candida agar; automated biochemical test panels such as Vitek 2 and MicroScan; and molecular assays including peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH), specific and broad range polymerase chain reaction(PCR) assays, and DNA-based sequencing technology use to identify organisms directly in clinical specimens or from positive cultures.