Explained: The role of genomics in fighting infectious diseases

New Delhi: In recent decades, genomics has revolutionized our approach to combating infectious diseases. By decoding the genetic blueprints of pathogens and hosts alike, scientists have gained unprecedented insights into disease mechanisms, transmission patterns, and potential therapeutic targets. This technological revolution has transformed how we detect, track, and treat infectious diseases, offering new hope in the battle against both emerging and established threats.

In an interview with News9Live, Dr. Shailendra Vyas, Director and CEO of BioHeaven 360 Genotec pvt. Ltd, discussed the importance of genomics in fighting infectious diseases.

Rapid Pathogen Identification

Traditional methods of identifying disease-causing organisms often require days or weeks of laboratory culture and biochemical testing. Genomic technologies enable scientists to identify pathogens within hours by sequencing their DNA or RNA. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid genomic sequencing allowed scientists to identify SARS-CoV-2 as the causative agent within days of the first reported cases, compared to the months it took to identify HIV in the early 1980s. These advances don’t just save time—they save lives. Rapid identification enables healthcare providers to initiate appropriate treatments earlier, reducing mortality rates and preventing disease spread.

Tracking Transmission and Evolution

Genomic surveillance has become a cornerstone of public health response to infectious disease outbreaks. By comparing genetic sequences of pathogens isolated from different patients, epidemiologists can trace transmission chains and identify superspreader events with remarkable precision.

Genomic data also reveals how pathogens evolve in real-time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global genomic surveillance networks tracked the emergence of variants with enhanced transmissibility or immune evasion capabilities, allowing public health officials to adjust control strategies accordingly. Similar approaches have transformed our understanding of influenza evolution, enabling more effective vaccine design.

Precision Antimicrobial Therapy

The growing antimicrobial resistance stands as one of the strongest dangers to worldwide healthcare. Genomics provides strong methods to identify resistance genes at the start of treatment. Genomic data allows clinicians to choose specific therapeutic agents that provide better treatment results rather than administering broad-range antibiotics. The drug susceptibility patterns for tuberculosis can be identified through genomic sequencing in a period of days instead of the traditionally required weeks of culture-based identification. Through rapid access to effective treatment, patients can experience better results together with a reduced chance of spreading the disease.

Vaccine Development

Genomics has accelerated vaccine development by identifying protective antigens and predicting immune responses. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines represent a triumph of genomic medicine—designed and manufactured based on the viral genome sequence alone, without ever needing to culture the virus. For pathogens that have historically resisted vaccine development, such as HIV and malaria, genomic approaches are revealing vulnerable targets and guiding novel immunization strategies. These efforts may finally yield effective vaccines against diseases that have plagued humanity for generations.

Host-Pathogen Interactions

People who interact with pathogens do not develop identical illness severity. Genomics reveals human genetic elements that establish disease exposure sensitivity as well as illness seriousness potential and therapy reaction extent. Genomic research during the COVID-19 pandemic found important genetic markers that were linked to serious disease courses while revealing vital biological systems involved in infection.

Challenges and Future Directions

Remarkable advancements have taken place; however, several hurdles remain active. Genomic technologies need to become more cost-effective along with broader distribution, since these improvements should focus on places where infectious disease impacts are greatest. Ethical guidelines must establish fair distribution schemes that safeguard individual privacy rights because genomic surveillance systems are expanding. The combination of genomic data with environmental and biological data over future years will strengthen infectious disease control tools. Genomics portrays fresh possibilities for infectious disease control since sequencing technology and computing capacity continue their advancement.