%0 Journal Article
%T Replicative genomics can help Helicobacter fraternity usher in good times
%A Niyaz Ahmed
%J Gut Pathogens
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1757-4749-2-25
%X The costs of whole genome sequencing have declined worldwide due to the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the next generation sequencing platforms (such as Solexa). As these technologies permit multiplexing, bringing the costs further down, the H. pylori genome programs have almost become pedestrian. It is therefore a high time for even the lower resource settings to initiate genome inferred molecular epidemiology and switch over from genotyping to genome sequencing for strain identification. This has also a significant potential for the training of students who could pursue genome sequence annotation and comparative genomics projects for dissertations. This situation also has implications for countries and continents dealing with their 'enigmatic' position as to the H. pylori infection outcome - for example, the Indian enigma [6] or the Malaysian enigma [7].H. pylori's core genome is almost conserved with close to 1200 genes. However, its 'variome' comprised majorly of highly fluid, plasticity zones (PZs) could be of significant research interest because it contains novel genes and genetic elements whose composition and structure varies and evolves in association with the geographic descent of the strains and host ecology/physiology. Functional level understanding of such plastic genomic repertoires could be very significant in understanding mechanisms of adaptations and survival over time without being cleared by the innate immune system. Therefore, the wealth of comparative genomic data emanating from multiple whole genome sequencing projects will make it possible to systematically decipher functional consequences of genomic diversity at population level [5]. Such data will also be helpful to understand how genotypic information relevant in molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics could be scaled up (through functional screens of whole genome insertion, deletion and substitution patterns of single strains) to 'functional molecular infection epidemiolo
%U http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/2/1/25