Strengthening Laboratory Genomics Capacity for Detecting and Tracking Re-emerging Bacterial Pathogens

Re-emerging bacterial pathogens - those that were previously declining in incidence but have returned as significant public health threats - represent a persistent challenge for national and international health systems. Clostridioides difficile, multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and select bacterial agents with potential for rapid spread all exemplify the threat posed by pathogens capable of exploiting clinical environments, antibiotic selective pressures, or lapses in surveillance infrastructure to re-establish themselves. Timely detection, accurate characterisation, and rapid genomic tracking of these pathogens are fundamental to mounting effective public health responses.Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has transformed our ability to characterise bacterial pathogens at the resolution required for outbreak investigation, transmission tracing, and surveillance of mobile genetic elements driving resistance and virulence. However, the implementation of genomics-based surveillance is uneven across health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income settings where laboratory infrastructure, bioinformatics capacity, and data-sharing frameworks remain limited. Bridging the gap between genomic technologies developed in high-resource settings and sustainable laboratory practice in diverse global contexts is one of the defining challenges of modern infectious disease surveillance.This Research Topic aims to address the laboratory and genomic infrastructure dimension of re-emerging bacterial pathogen detection and tracking - not the therapeutic response, but the foundational capacity to see the threat clearly, characterise it rapidly, and share information effectively across health systems.Articles of interest may cover, but are not limited to, the following themes:· WGS workflows and bioinformatics pipelines for re-emerging bacterial pathogen surveillance· Genomic epidemiology of re-emerging pathogens including C. difficile, MDR-TB, and other priority agents· Mobile genetic elements - including integrative conjugative elements and plasmids - driving pathogen emergence· Laboratory capacity building for genomics-based surveillance in resource-limited settings· International frameworks and data-sharing platforms for cross-border pathogen tracking· Case studies in outbreak detection and investigation using whole genome sequencing· Comparative genomics revealing evolutionary drivers of re-emergenceWe welcome original research articles, methods papers, reviews, perspectives, and case studies.If you are interested in submitting or have any questions, please contact the journal email: bacteriology@frontiersin.org. Topic editors: Richard Stabler, Leonard Peruski Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83956/strengthening-laboratory-genomics-capacity-for-detecting-and-tracking-re-emerging-bacterial-pathogens