Microbiology could be etymologically defined as the study of small living things invisible to the naked eye (Hogg, 2013). The progress of microbiology has been tied to the technology available at each time in history. Humans were not even aware of the existence of microorganisms until about 350 years ago, when Anton van Leeuwenhoek observed what he described as ‘animalcules’ through a rudimentary microscope he invented himself (Hogg, 2013). Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, and other scientists in the microbiology field relied on the technologies available at their time to face the challenges that arose to them.
At the end of the 20th Century, cloning of bacterial genes represented one of the biggest advances in modern microbiology, pushing it forward into a molecular era (Rappuoli, 2004). Persing (1993) describes the transition to diagnostic molecular microbiology as one of the challenges that microbiology had to face in the last decade of that century. In fact, he even predicted the molecular era as a future direction for microbiology. At that time it was only possible to sequence and clone one bacterial gene at a time, but just 3 years later microbiologists sequenced the first bacterial genome (Rappuoli, 2004). It seems like Persing was not wrong at all.
This is just an example of how acknowledging and facing the challenges of microbiology can help foresee its future paths. This is useful especially in the research area. Later, the findings of the research are applied to the many fields in microbiology (medicine, pharmaceutical industry, food and drink production, genetic engineering, etc.) (Hogg, 2013). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to address, explore, analyze, and offer a personal perspective on current and future challenges within the field of microbiology, based on what has been learned during the Introduction to Microbiology 101 course.
The biggest challenge in microbiology nowadays
Published literature enumerates an array of challenges in microbiology, which have been in force for at least a decade and a half. These challenges are mainly clustered and defined as microbiology as a dying profession, bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents, current and future collaborative work between microbiology-related specialists, international cooperation, emerging pathogens, bioterrorism, and modern technology in the field (vaccine development, novel diagnostic methods, etc.) (Baron, 2002; Dunne, Pinckard, & Hooper, 2002; Struelens & Van Eldere, 2005). Of all of these very important challenges, and based on the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, I personally believe that current and collaborative work between microbiology-related specialists and international cooperation is the greater challenge nowadays. To address this issue, Europe specialists have been trying to harmonize the clinical microbiology and infectious diseases curricula, as to try to reach a consensus on this topic (Struelens & Van Eldere, 2005). Furthermore, I believe this effort should then be taken to the rest of the continents. To cite an example, during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, caused by the then unknown SARS-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), technologies at that time allowed microbiologists to identify the virus genome sequence in less than a month, and they alerted public health specialists and international organizations. The virus’ life cycle and classification as zoonotic was made, and preventive measures were put into practice, in just a few months, due to international and specialists cooperation (Rappuoli, 2004). It is important to standardize terminology, and competencies, as well as to promote communication between microbiology-related specialties around the globe, and other public health areas. By doing so, it would shorten the time required to confirm a new outbreak or a bioterrorist attack, boost the recognition of emerging pathogens, reduce careless antibiotic prescriptions by physicians and self-medication by patients, and enhance modern technologies in the field to facilitate diagnose and vaccine-production, thus at least partially solving the rest of the aforementioned challenges.
The most important change in the field of microbiology within the next decade
In the next 5 years
The information I have learnt in this course certainly represents part of the basic knowledge I must acquire in order to become the professional I envision to be. Correctly identifying pathogens, and knowing their prevention or treatment measures will be tasks I will have to perform on a daily basis. Specifically on this paper, identifying current challenges in microbiology while being a citizen and a professional of the world helps me being aware of the needs for current and effective communication with my peers and other related-professions, here or in other parts of the world. I have understood that it is not possible to perform microbiological work without global cooperation. Furthermore, current advances in technology might make our future work easier, or faster, but what I have learnt in this course reminds me of the importance of basic principles in microbiology. I believe many thrilling technological changes are still to come, and I am very excited to be a part of that future.
References
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Dunne, W. M., Jr, Pinckard, J. K., & Hooper, L. V. (2002). Clinical microbiology in the year 2025. Journal of clinical microbiology, 40(11), 3889–3893. Am Soc Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.40.11.3889-3893.2002
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