Biology to Molecular Biology Changing Scenario in Medicine

Dr.T.V.Rao MD
The greatest achievements in the Medical sciences are attributed to developments in Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of several diseases. Today progress in the world is mainly contributed by control of Infectious diseases. We are heading to cross roads, many of the past technologies are giving way to several microbes, they escape our present methods of detection and resistant to several drugs we use to eliminate them. We the scientific communities have no options left, except to search for new paths in science and newer technologies. Till recently the Science made best progress with phenotypic methods, however in the recent past, Molecular methods have dominated all other forms of technologies. The division of Bioinformatics changed the advances in Science which is bringing together the fields of Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, and Genetics under the fold of computers and software advances in computer technology. The discoveries of Watson-Crick in basic understanding of Bacterial DNA (Genome) made us rich to know about ourselves. Many commercial establishments, with help of Scientists, are targeting majority of diseases, important fields being AIDS, Mental illness, autoimmune diseases, Obesity, Alzheimer's diseases, Heart diseases, Parkinson's disease and emerging trends on Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR). The molecular medicine made the physicians know the realities of the disease before taking heroic decisions

Need of Molecular biology in Microbiology

All the great achievements with discovery of penicillin are diluted with, onset of penicillin being inactivated with genetic alteration of Staphylococcus aureus, gaining resistance. The progress of dealing with gram-negative bacteria is hampered with production lactamase making the Cephalosporins being not useful in several infections. The major antibiotic therapies are throttled with Genetic mutation in Microbes. The present system of identification is limited as there is a growing list of unknown and less known Microbes emerged by human activities as mass migration and afforestation. The Medical profession is challenged with onset of AIDS in 1981, made a bottle neck in progress of developing countries. Major advances in Medicine as Transplantation made the people venerable to less known infections, however genome based studies still in infancy to locate the infection and find appropriate solutions.

Role of Molecular Biology identifies less known Infections

The emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases with selected Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes along with several viruses, yeasts, moulds, dimorphic fungi pose a ever growing challenge to clinical Microbiologists. On many occasions the traditional and age old techniques rarely help for survival and saving a life. Newer generation of Physicians and Microbiologists await newer technologies in particular Molecular Biology techniques in life saving circumstances

How to Implement Molecular Biology

It is true that molecular biology is in infancy, many in the developing countries cannot afford. However we have to impress on the new generation of Doctors and Scientists and Microbiologists and educate and teach about using the newer technologies to our Medical Students Email; doctortvrao@gmail.com