The 2012 Point of Care Diagnostics meeting in Nairobi, Kenya brought together academic researchers and public health, policy, and medical caregivers in developing countries.  A common theme was the difficulty of the path from research ideas in university laboratories to effective diagnostic tools that can be used in field settings.  This recent publication in the journal PLOS-Neglected Tropical Diseases explores some of the pitfalls and  effective strategies that were described at the meeting.