Artificially designed pathogens - a diagnostic option for future military deployments

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pathogen diagnostics
• Biosecurity

Background:

• Handling biosafety level 3 and 4 microbial isolates in military field settings presents significant challenges.
• International transport of diagnostic microbial isolates is restricted, complicating research and diagnostics.
• Current methods for pathogen handling in deployed settings pose risks and logistical hurdles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility of using sequence-based de novo synthesis as an alternative to transporting infectious microbial isolates.
• To assess the potential of pathogen inactivation, sequencing, and subsequent revitalization for diagnostic and research purposes.
• To evaluate the utility of this approach for resource-restricted military deployment settings.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted using PubMed to identify existing research on de novo synthesis of pathogens.
• The review focused on the development and application of sequence-based synthesis technologies for viruses and prokaryotes.
• Analysis of existing literature on pathogen handling and transport restrictions was performed.

Main Results:

• De novo synthesis of pathogens from sequence information, first described for poliovirus in 2002, is a well-established scientific procedure.
• Successful de novo synthesis has been demonstrated for both viral and prokaryotic organisms.
• The technology is not yet routinely available for diagnostic purposes.

Conclusions:

• Sequence-based de novo synthesis offers a promising alternative for pathogen assessment in challenging deployment settings.
• Establishing this technology for routine diagnostics could significantly improve safety and efficiency in resource-restricted environments.
• Further development is needed to implement sequence-based pathogen synthesis for routine diagnostic applications.