Using Genome Sequencing to Identify Pathogens Flashcards

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What is a pathogen?

A pathogen is a microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus or fungus, that can cause disease.

What is a genome?

A genome is all the DNA in an organism, including all of its genes.

What is meant by genome sequencing?

Genome sequencing means working out the exact order of bases (A, T, C and G) in an organism’s DNA.

How does genome sequencing help identify an unknown pathogen?

Scientists sequence the pathogen’s DNA and compare it with known DNA sequences in a database to find a match.

What is the first step in using genome sequencing to identify a pathogen from a patient?

The first step is to take a sample from the patient, such as blood, mucus or tissue, that contains the pathogen.

Describe the main steps in using genome sequencing to identify a pathogen.

Take a sample, extract the pathogen’s DNA, sequence the DNA, then compare the sequence with a database to find which pathogen it is.

Why can genome sequencing be more accurate than using symptoms alone to diagnose a disease?

Different pathogens can cause similar symptoms, but their DNA sequences are different, so sequencing shows exactly which one is present.

How can genome sequencing help during a disease outbreak?

It can show if patients have the same pathogen, so scientists can see if cases are linked and track how the disease is spreading.

How can genome sequencing help doctors choose the best treatment?

Sequencing can show genes for antibiotic resistance, so doctors can pick a drug that should still kill that pathogen.

What is a strain of a pathogen and how can genome sequencing tell strains apart?

A strain is a version of a pathogen with small DNA differences; sequencing can spot these differences and show which strain is infecting someone.

How can genome sequencing help scientists spot new or changed pathogens?

By comparing new DNA sequences with older ones, scientists can see mutations and detect new or changed pathogens early.