Microbial sequences benefit health now

摘要

We are still waiting for widespread health-care improvements resulting from sequencing of the human genome (Nature 470, 140; 2011), but microbial genome sequences are already generating important clinical applications. Hospital laboratory sequencing is set to become an invaluable tool for the delineation, tracking and control of infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcuspneumoniae (see, for example, S. R. Harris et al. Science 327,469-474; 2010, and N. J.Crouchre et al.