The Northern Territory (NT) of Australia is renowned for having a heavy burden of infectious diseases, due to the presence of a large and diverse group of distinct microbial pathogens that infect both the Indigenous and the non-Indigenous populations. However, for the most, the NT lacks the informative and interrogative laboratory methods that could be used to enhance epidemiological surveillance. This requires prompt attention and correction as a matter of urgency, especially in the case of sexually transmitted diseases, which are a substantial public health issue in the NT.