Bacteria: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Amyes Sebastian G.B

Author:Amyes, Sebastian G.B. [Amyes, Sebastian G.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 2013-05-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

The future

The past history of bacteria has been difficult enough to uncover, let alone making valid predictions for the future.

The benefits of research into the molecular biology of bacteria

The genomic sequencing of bacteria is still in its infancy when we consider the vast number of species of bacteria on the planet. It has given us knowledge of the genes that many bacteria species require not only to survive but to progress into new niches. The more genomic sequences of each species that are completed, the more comprehensive a map of their evolution can be obtained. We have, however, less knowledge on how these genes are controlled and what stimulates them to switch on. This is crucial information because it may allow the control of pathogenic bacteria infections with drugs other than the conventional antibiotics that are used today. For instance, if the stimulus to the gene that makes a bacterium pathogenic can be inhibited, then it may be restrained without the need to kill it. This will, however, require very detailed molecular analysis.

A constraint to the successful management of patients has been the speed at which diagnostic laboratories can identify a pathogen and its antibiotic susceptibility. Currently it takes one or two days, during which time the patient has already been given therapy, which may be altered subsequently according to the test results. Molecular biological techniques are much faster and can, in theory, provide a result within an hour or two, which is within the prescribing time frame. Whereas it is now straightforward and fairly rapid to identify the pathogen by these techniques, the current constraint is the ability to translate current molecular information into predicting individual bacterial susceptibility and likely clinical success. Future extensive genomic analysis should ultimately deliver this, though when is less certain.

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