Bacterial culture was the first method used to describe the human microbiota, but this
method is considered outdated by many researchers. Metagenomics studies have since …

SUMMARY A pure bacterial culture remains essential for the study of its virulence, its
antibiotic susceptibility, and its genome sequence in order to facilitate the understanding …

Whole-genome sequencing of bacteria has recently emerged as a cost-effective and
convenient approach for addressing many microbiological questions. Here, we review the …

Humans encounter mycobacterial species due to their ubiquity in different environmental
niches. In many individuals, pathogenic mycobacterial species may breach our first-line …

Tuberculosis, an ancient disease of mankind, remains one of the major infectious causes of
human death. We examine newly discovered facets of tuberculosis pathogenesis and …

Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is a chronic granulomatous infection primarily caused by
Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Despite its historical stigma and …

Leprosy continues to be a challenge to health worldwide, with about 250 000 new cases
being detected every year. Despite widespread implementation of effective multidrug …

Twenty years ago, the publication of the first bacterial genome sequence, from Haemophilus
influenzae, shook the world of bacteriology. In this Timeline, we review the first two decades …

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) promises to be transformative for the practice of clinical
microbiology, and the rapidly falling cost and turnaround time mean that this will become a …

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and the
more recently discovered Mycobacterium lepromatosis (M. lepromatosis). The two leprosy …