Whole Genome Bacterial Sequencing
Background
The continuous emergence of drug-resistant and recurrent bacteria has been a concern for medical experts. An area of great interest is, however, the fact that the rate of infection of patients in hospitals is growing daily. Generally, bacterial infections have proved challenging for patients in the Intensive Care Units owing to the apparatus and objects involved in the delivery of service in the units. The whole-genome bacterial sequencing has proved to be a solution for most of the bacterial challenges, although significant challenges have faced the process. The sequencing process involves collecting samples of bacterial DNA and analyzing the multimillion nucleotides that compose the entire bacteria. Genome sequencing is essential in determining the mutative characteristics of bacteria and the development of preventive and curative measures. One of the advantages of the whole genome bacteria sequencing is that personalized treatment plans are developed not only for the bacterial disease but also for patients’ genetic variations that may hinder the treatment processes. Generally, whole-genome bacteria sequencing is based on the fact that the scientific composition of a cell is not constant, and research should be done continuously done to make the management of bacteria effective.
The development of whole-genome bacterial sequencing has gone through phases that have relied on technology. A comparison between whole-genome bacterial sequencing and other genome analysis techniques has proved that whole-genome bacterial sequencing is efficient as it provides an avenue for analyzing more massive data. Whole-genome bacterial sequencing may not have a rich history since it became popular early into the 21st century. Generally, the application of whole-genome bacterial sequencing has been limited to research in the past. However, current developments involve the introduction of whole genome bacterial sequencing into the clinical fields. The future of whole-genome bacterial sequencing promises the development of more sequenced bacterial genomes.
Pros and Cons of Pacbio (Past, Present and Future Perspective)
The transmission of bacterial infections has been a cause for concern among individuals. One of the leading reasons for the challenges is the mutative nature of bacterial genomes. Also, insufficient research has been done on bacterial genomes, leaving considerable gaps in the journey towards the establishment of known genomes. Patients in hospitals have been exposed to bacterial infections that have remained an unsolved puzzle among researchers. The application of whole-genome bacterial sequencing has, however, come as a solution to most of the challenges posed by bacterial infections. The technology is associated with several advantages as well as disadvantages that have existed in the past, exist in the present, and are expected in the future. Researchers have weighed in to save the situation by analyzing data on the possible sequencing procedures for the various genotypes.
The past of whole-genome bacterial sequencing has been based on research. Clinical involvement of whole-genome bacterial sequencing has been limited, owing to insufficient research on the various genomes. Generally, sequencing methods employed in the 20th century were manual and could only handle fewer data. For example, sequencing relied on technologies such as the Maxam-Gilbert sequencing that could not sequence an entire genome. The sequencing of whole genomes had to wait until the late 90s when technologies that would sequence whole genomes were introduced. For example, the ear 1995 saw the sequencing of Haemophilus influenza, which was the first genome to be wholly sequenced (Heinz, 2018). The sequencing of Haemophilus influenza was done using shotgun sequencing, and the process was not efficient. The standards that would allow the process to be introduced in the clinical sector were not met, and further developments were needed. Moreover, the use of shotgun sequencing paved the way for the whole bacteria sequencing that is currently in use.
Current sequencing techniques rely on already existing techniques that were developed several years ago. Genome sequencing of smaller genomes was in use in the early 1980s and was improved to cater for larger species of genomes. For example, bacterial sequencing was developed to make the procedure possible for the sequencing of human sequencing (Hatherell et al. 2016). The development of whole bacterial genome sequencing has, however, been through several phases. The phases through which the sequencing procedures have been going through have been facing challenges brought about by several factors. For example, the whole bacteria genome sequencing is expensive, and researchers have always considered existing cost-effective technologies. Currently, private and government agencies compete to develop sequencing avenues that cater for the expensive nature as well as the applicability for clinical use. The various technologies are determined to overcome the challenges that are associated with existing technologies. Moreover, the prospects of the whole bacteria genome depend on several factors that determine whether or not the process develops faster.
The development of whole bacteria genome sequencing depends on several factors that have affected the introduction of technology in the clinics’ sector. One of the factors considered while developing the whole bacteria genome sequencing is the value obtained both in the short and long run. The value associated with whole bacterial genome sequencing is analyzed in terms of the value that the patient, researcher, and physician get (Mardis, 2019). The value associated with the sequencing technique is assessed concerning a known genome. Therefore, the whole bacteria genome sequencing process has to rely on the genomes that have been sequenced before for reference. The fact that the process is expensive means that precaution has to be taken to avoid coming up with more expensive procedures that add little or no value to the existing field of knowledge. Besides, the introduction of whole bacteria genome sequencing in the clinics’ sector requires that crucial conclusions have to be made to avoid regrettable choices. Moreover, the whole bacteria genome sequencing technology is associated with a series of advantages and disadvantages.
Whole bacterial genome sequencing is associated with a series of advantages and disadvantages. First, technology has advantages that include the connection between bacteria analysis and the patient’s genetic characteristics. Whole bacterial genome sequencing provides information that essential in determining the mutation of both the disease-causing bacteria and the patient’s genomes (Thomsen et al. 2016). Also, the whole bacteria genome sequencing allows physicians to come up with less toxic control measures and protect the patient from adverse side effects such as cancer. Generally, whole bacteria genome sequencing provides specific characteristics, so that correct medication is administered. Usually, traditional sequencing technologies were determined in identifying the disease-causing genomes and overlooked unknown genes that contribute to the state of various diseases. Whole bacteria genome sequencing does not overlook the genes that may contribute to the state of a disease. However, whole bacteria genome sequencing is subject to a series of disadvantages.
Researchers have been pointing several disadvantages associated with whole bacterial genome sequencing. Most of the disadvantages have been contributing to the slow introduction of the technique in the medical sector. First, most of the genes identified in the bacteria genomes are not understood, and the information on them is not usable. The interpretation of genomic data requires intensive training, which is not available for most of the physicians. Besides, training physicians is expensive and adds to the cost of applying the whole bacterial genome sequencing. Besides, the amount of information found in the genomes is vast, leading to a challenge in addressing vast data. Generally, whole bacteria genome sequencing is expensive and is only applied where value is assured.
Reflection
The field of genomics has been one of the most complicated fields to research on. Before this research, my understanding of genomics was misleading. For example, the knowledge that whole bacteria genome sequencing has been introduced in the field of clinics was strange. Generally, the whole bacteria genome sequencing technology has come to provide solutions to several challenges facing the genomics field. For example, the availability of vast data that cannot be addressed using traditional techniques has been solved. The inability to deal with large amounts of data has been a limitation for most of the traditional technologies. The current state of whole bacteria genome sequencing promises an improvement in the future, and bacterial diseases, especially in hospitals, may become an issue of the past. Generally, the availability of articles from various researchers has been essential in providing much-needed information on the topic. Generally, whole bacterial genome sequencing has the potential to improve the quality of life among people of all ages.
References
Hatherell, H. A., Colijn, C., Stagg, H. R., Jackson, C., Winter, J. R., & Abubakar, I. (2016). Interpreting whole genome sequencing for investigating tuberculosis transmission: a systematic review. BMC medicine, 14(1), 21.
Heinz, E. (2018). The return of Pfeiffer’s bacillus: Rising incidence of ampicillin resistance in Haemophilus influenzae. Microbial genomics, 4(9).
Mardis, E. R. (2019). The Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing on Cancer Genomics: From Discovery to Clinic. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 9(9), a036269.
Thomsen, M. C. F., Ahrenfeldt, J., Cisneros, J. L. B., Jurtz, V., Larsen, M. V., Hasman, H., … & Lund, O. (2016). A bacterial analysis platform: an integrated system for analysing bacterial whole genome sequencing data for clinical diagnostics and surveillance. PloS one, 11(6), e0157718.