Genomics, Proteomics and Vaccines (Grandi/Vaccines) || Genome Sequencing and Analysis

✍ Scribed by Grandi, Guido

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 304 KB
• Edition: 1
• Category: Article
• ISBN: 0470856165
• DOI: 10.1002/0470012536.ch3

✦ Synopsis

The potential of genomics-based approaches to expand our understanding of the biology of pathogens was summarized in an editorial by Dr. Barry Bloom, current Director of the Harvard School of Public Health, in the journal Nature, following publication of the second complete microbial genome sequence in 1995 . In it he stated 'The power and cost effectiveness of modern genome sequencing technology mean that complete genome sequences of 25 of the major bacterial and parasitic pathogens could be available within 5 years. For about $100 million we could buy the sequence of every virulence determinant, every protein antigen, and every drug target. It would represent for each pathogen a onetime investment from which the information derived would be available to all scientists for all time. We could then think about a new post-genomic era of microbe biology'.

We have, in fact, surpassed this goal, and genomics efforts in laboratories around the world have already delivered the complete sequence of more than 80 microbial species including major bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens of human, animals, and plants (see http://www.