Role of bioinformatics in the development of new antibacterial therapy

Bacterial virulence and pathogenicity has its genesis in plasmid exchange, horizontal gene transfer, transposons carrying virulent genes, genome rearrangement, missing genes causing gaps in pathways, gene mutations altering gene functionality, pathogenicity islands, efflux pumps, pore-inducing proteins causing cell death and release of exotoxins that can harm the host. In the past, docking based on 3D molecular modeling to identify the compounds that will bind to a protein disrupting the pathway has been used for antibiotic development. However, current hospital practice aided by fast mutation of virulent genes has produced many drug-resistant strains capable of surviving extreme stress conditions caused by antibiotics. Recent bioinformatics research can help remedy the situation by helping to understand the exact functionality of the biomachine inside the bacteria and the host pathogen interaction at the level of individual pathogens, and can reduce the drug-development time in future.