The study of genomes in organisms is an area of discipline that is playing a growing role in the study of pathogens and antibiotic resistance. The goal of genomics is to study an entire sequence of DNA. Unlike genetics, genomics is the study of an entire genome structure. A single genome is only studied if it is important to the entire genome structure. Genomics will be used in increased frequency in order to combat infectious diseases.

Genomics has been used for decades in the study of infectious diseases. It was used to study the infectious outbreak of the Ebola virus. It has also been used to study food poisoning contamination, such as with Escherichia coli. By identifying the sources of infectious diseases, it is possible for doctors to determine the most effective treatment. 

The Role Of Genomics

Genomics allows for the study of the evolution of pathogens. This allows for scientists to identify why certain pathogens develop an immunity to antibodies. Other methods for the assessment of infectious agents are only able to assess a small number of infectious agents. Next generation sequencing, however, offers a universal way to distinguish pathogen strains. The most common method used for this is microbial whole-genome sequencing. 

Microbial Whole-Genome Sequencing

Microbial whole-genome sequencing is used to map genomes of novel organisms and is also used to finish the sequencing of genomes that were started using other methods. One important function is the identification of a reference genome. This is an indicator that can help researchers identify an organism, which is essential for diagnosing an infectious disease. This approach is also much less time-consuming and labor-intensive. Variants of genomes can be identified that either were too infrequent or expensive to identify using other methods. This provides scientists with more information regarding the nature of infectious diseases.

Other Methods

There are additional methods of genome sequencing that are often necessary. For instance, De Novo whole genome sequencing is often necessary to sequence a novel microbial genome. This is because a genome can be sequenced without the need for a genome reference. Another approach is microbial whole-genome resequencing. In this case, an entire genome is sequenced and is then compared to a known reference. This is used to identify mutations and to find deletions and insertions.

DNA sequencing will become more common in years to come due to new methods developed. For instance, it was once very invasive to engage in DNA sequencing of a fetus, but now, some DNA has been discovered in the blood of the mother that belongs to the fetus. As new methods are developed, infectious diseases and genetic disorders can be fought more effectively.