WHY SEQUENCE THE GENOME OF MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS

Radical measures are required to prevent the grim predictions of the W orld Health Organisation for the deterioration of the global tuberculo sis epidemic in the next century from becoming reality. Study of the n erve centre of the tubercle bacillus, its genome, by means of systemat ic deoxyribonucleic acid sequence analysis will provide a wealth of in formation about Mycobacterium tuberculosis that will undoubtedly fuel the next generation of research. In the coming year, this highly cost- effective approach will deliver an unprecedented amount of knowledge t o catalyse the development of new, more efficient diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions to detect, control and, ultimately, elimina te tuberculosis.