DNA sequencing is now an important tool for preventing, diagnosing and treating disease.Identifying pathogens
The DNA of a pathogen in a patient's sample can be sequenced to identify exactly which species and strain is causing the infection. This is faster than growing the pathogen in culture, so the right treatment can begin sooner.Tracking outbreaks
Pathogens mutate as they spread. By comparing the genome sequences of samples from different patients, scientists can work out who infected whom, trace the source of an outbreak and follow the spread of new variants. This was used during the COVID-19 pandemic and is used to trace tuberculosis and hospital infections such as MRSA.Antibiotic resistance
Sequencing a bacterial genome can reveal alleles that give resistance to particular antibiotics. Doctors can then avoid prescribing antibiotics that will not work, which saves time and slows the spread of resistance.Developing vaccines and drugs
The pathogen's genome shows the sequences of its surface proteins, which can be used to design vaccines, and the proteins it needs to survive, which can become drug targets.Human disease
Sequencing a person's DNA can identify alleles that cause genetic disorders or increase the risk of disease, such as mutations in the BRCA1 gene that increase the risk of breast cancer. This allows early screening. It also makes personalised medicine possible: choosing drugs and doses that suit a person's genotype.
The DNA of a pathogen in a patient's sample can be sequenced to identify exactly which species and strain is causing the infection. This is faster than growing the pathogen in culture, so the right treatment can begin sooner.Tracking outbreaks
Pathogens mutate as they spread. By comparing the genome sequences of samples from different patients, scientists can work out who infected whom, trace the source of an outbreak and follow the spread of new variants. This was used during the COVID-19 pandemic and is used to trace tuberculosis and hospital infections such as MRSA.Antibiotic resistance
Sequencing a bacterial genome can reveal alleles that give resistance to particular antibiotics. Doctors can then avoid prescribing antibiotics that will not work, which saves time and slows the spread of resistance.Developing vaccines and drugs
The pathogen's genome shows the sequences of its surface proteins, which can be used to design vaccines, and the proteins it needs to survive, which can become drug targets.Human disease
Sequencing a person's DNA can identify alleles that cause genetic disorders or increase the risk of disease, such as mutations in the BRCA1 gene that increase the risk of breast cancer. This allows early screening. It also makes personalised medicine possible: choosing drugs and doses that suit a person's genotype.