Scientists have developed a faster and more accurate tuberculosis test, hoping it will lead to faster treatment for many people, reducing the severity of their symptoms, and the chances they will infect others.
The microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility (MODS) test is also cheaper and more sensitive to drug resistant strains than current tests.
It yields results in an average of seven days, and could help save many lives, particularly in developing countries - where TB is rife.
Details of the test, developed by UK, US and Peruvian researchers, feature in the New England Journal of Medicine.