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Microbes in human health and disease

Guest editor: Martin Hibberd

Genome sequencing, genome-scale research and high-throughput technologies are allowing rapid investigation of the roles of microbes in human health and disease. Microbial genomes can now be sequenced so quickly that infectious disease outbreaks can be investigated in real time to identify pathogens and carriers, and allow efficient control of infection. These approaches are also transforming our understanding of how interactions between the host and the infecting or resident microbes can affect human health. Such advances are expected to revolutionize the field, allowing more effective and targeted interventions for personalized medicine and public health. Genome Medicine highlights genome-scale and other 'omic approaches for studying infectious diseases, the role of the microbiome in health and disease, and how such information can be applied to medicine.

This collection of articles has not been sponsored and articles have undergone the journal’s standard peer-review process. The Guest Editor declares no competing interests.

  1. Colonic diverticulosis, the most common lesion found in routine colonoscopy, affects more than 50% of individuals aged ≥ 60 years. Emerging evidence suggest that dysbiosis of gut microbiota may play an importa...

    Authors: Xinwei Hua, Jessica McGoldrick, Nour Nakrour, Kyle Staller, Daniel Chulyong Chung, Ramnik Joseph Xavier and Hamed Khalili
    Citation: Genome Medicine 2024 16:105
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Traditional pathogen detection methods in public health infectious disease surveillance rely upon the identification of agents that are already known to be associated with a particular clinical syndrome. The e...

    Authors: Ruth R Miller, Vincent Montoya, Jennifer L Gardy, David M Patrick and Patrick Tang
    Citation: Genome Medicine 2013 5:81
    Content type: Review Published on:

  3. The microbial residents of the human gut are a major factor in the development and lifelong maintenance of health. The gut microbiota differs to a large degree from person to person and has an important influe...

    Authors: Daniela Börnigen, Xochitl C Morgan, Eric A Franzosa, Boyu Ren, Ramnik J Xavier, Wendy S Garrett and Curtis Huttenhower
    Citation: Genome Medicine 2013 5:65
    Content type: Review Published on:

  4. The mycobiome, referring primarily to the fungal biota in an environment, is an important component of the human microbiome. Despite its importance, it has remained understudied. New culture-independent approa...

    Authors: Lijia Cui, Alison Morris and Elodie Ghedin
    Citation: Genome Medicine 2013 5:63
    Content type: Review Published on:

  5. Human papillomavirus positive (HPV+) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an emerging disease, representing a distinct clinical and epidemiological entity. Understanding the genetic basis of this s...

    Authors: Matthias Lechner, Garrett M Frampton, Tim Fenton, Andrew Feber, Gary Palmer, Amrita Jay, Nischalan Pillay, Martin Forster, Maureen T Cronin, Doron Lipson, Vincent A Miller, Timothy A Brennan, Stephen Henderson, Francis Vaz, Paul O'Flynn, Nicholas Kalavrezos…
    Citation: Genome Medicine 2013 5:49
    Content type: Research Published on: