How do researchers use bacterial genome sequences?

Learn more from six researchers who work here at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Susannah Salter is using genome sequencing to learn how a new species of bacteria could be grown in the lab, allowing it to be studied more easily.

Mathew Beale is sequencing genomes of the bacteria that cause syphilis to understand how it evolves within a single patient and becomes more harmful over time. He uses the term SNP in this video, which is an acronym for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism. These are single letter differences between genomes. These differences are commonly used for comparing closely related bacteria.

Daryl Domman uses genome sequencing to understand how cholera spreads across the globe.

Gal Horesh is interested in the genes that enable some bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment despite being susceptible to these drugs.

Tapoka Mkandawire studies genetic elements that can spread between bacteria and how these help to keep your gut healthy.

Lindsay Pike uses genome sequencing to study antibiotic resistance genes in good gut bacteria and how these can spread to infectious pathogens.

In the comments area, write which one of these research topics you are most interested in and give a reason for your choice? Link to areas that you are interested in, and share one or two links to good resources with a brief one sentence description.