Unlocking the Secrets of Dormant Pathogens

Tuberculosis (TB), the world's most deadly infectious disease, has long evaded detection by hiding in the lungs for years. However, groundbreaking research from Cornell University is shedding light on how these dormant periods—sometimes lasting for generations—impact the evolution of the TB bacterium and similar organisms.

A New Dawn for Pathogen Research

Cornell scientists have unveiled a pioneering computational method that builds genealogical trees for dormant organisms, providing insight into the factors influencing their evolution over time. This enhanced understanding could revolutionize surveillance and prepare us for emerging strains of diseases.

Jaehee Kim, an assistant professor of computational biology at Cornell, emphasizes the necessity of accounting for dormancy when piecing together evolutionary histories. Ignoring these periods could lead to misinterpretations of both the past and future evolutionary paths of pathogens.

A Game-Changer in Genetics