{"id":69696,"date":"2023-08-01T11:00:26","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T18:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=69696"},"modified":"2023-08-02T15:55:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T22:55:20","slug":"ladner-sahl-pathogens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/ladner-sahl-pathogens\/","title":{"rendered":"The key to battling a pathogen hides in its genome\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of the answers for effectively responding to a pathogen lie in its genome. Understanding the genetic code of a pathogen like Ebola or the virus that causes COVID-19 allows scientists to track its movement, predict future behavior, identify the source of the outbreak and, most importantly, develop effective vaccines and treatments. This technology was critical during the pandemic, and it will be even more so with future outbreaks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That makes the continued development of genomic sequencing one of the most important takeaways from the pandemic, argue biologists Jason Ladner<\/strong> and Jason Sahl<\/strong> in <\/span>an essay published in <\/span>PLOS Biology<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Genomic sequencing, which determines the entire<\/span><\/span><\/span> genetic <\/span><\/span><\/span>DNA <\/span><\/span><\/span>makeup<\/span><\/span><\/span> of an organism,<\/span><\/span><\/span> had a huge impact in the global response to COVID-19, and the technology improved as more researchers put it to use. To better respond to the next pandemic, we need to build on that knowledge, they write, while also recognizing the gaps in our capabilities that remain.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jason
Jason Ladner<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic in many ways represented the culmination of sequencing and analysis that had been building for years,\u201d Sahl said. \u201cWe wanted to highlight that although interest in the pandemic has waned, other threats still exist, and maintaining our momentum while also building new infrastructure will be vital for improving public health responses to existing and emerging threats.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the history matters to the present and future<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ladner and Sahl, associate professors in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University, and their colleagues in the Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, are on the front lines of applying and analyzing cutting-edge genomic technology in the study of pathogens, and have worked with various infectious agents, including Ebola, Zika, <\/span>Yersinia pestis<\/span><\/i> (which causes plague), anthrax and <\/span>Burkholderia pseudomallei<\/span><\/i> (which causes melioidosis).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jason
Jason Sahl<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the essay, they focus on the history of pathogens and genomic sequencing to help readers understand that the patterns we see now aren\u2019t new. In the 1960s, scientists thought they had infectious disease resolved with the development of vaccines, antibiotics, personal hygiene and sanitation norms and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we did not fully appreciate at the time, however, was the incredible diversity of human pathogens, their capacity for rapid evolution and the dynamic nature of interactions between pathogens and their hosts,\u201d Ladner and Sahl write. \u201cCombined, these factors have substantially complicated our attempts to mitigate the impacts of infectious disease.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sixty years later, pathogens remain complicated. The biologists provide a roadmap for various stakeholders in preparation for the next pandemic: highlighting deficits in research for scientists to address; pointing out the critical need for collaboration and investment for policymakers; and explaining the history of pathogen genomic sequencing to public health officials, media, philanthropists and others so they can understand the full potential of pathogen sequencing for public health.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wrote this essay to contribute to the broader discussion of how pathogen genome sequencing should be used in the future to improve public health and what types of investments and innovations we need to facilitate this,\u201d Ladner said. \u201cThis is no longer a niche topic, but one with broad appeal for scientists in multiple different fields, officials setting health care policy and media who are working to understand recent advances and communicate them to the general public.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Graphic
Figure showing the many uses of pathogen genomes for public health. Top photo: Ebola, SARS-CoV-2 and Yersinia pestis, courtesy of the CDC.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n