title: Molecular biology and the diagnosis, epidemiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases.
abstract: In this short review, the impact of molecular biology on microbiology in general is described. Specifically, molecular biology is increasingly enlarging the available choice of methods for the diagnosis of microbial disease. In situ hybridization seems to be a particularly promising procedure. In epidemiology, an interesting facet is the high mutation rate of RNA viruses. In pathogenesis, molecular biology will help to elucidate pathways of infection and the targeting of pathogenic macromolecules within the cell and within an organism.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koblet
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008967:Molecular Biology; D015335:Molecular Probes
chemical_list: D015335:Molecular Probes