Have there been specific developments in the field of microbiology that may have contributed?

Several developments have contributed to the expansion of research in the field of clinical microbiology. The sequencing of the genome of several important viral and bacterial pathogens has led to an explosion of new information related to virulence factors and their genetic control mechanisms. The many emerging infectious diseases, including antibiotic-resistant organisms, have also prompted many studies on the diagnosis, epidemiology, virulence, and control of these agents. The recent interest in agents with the potential for use as biologic weapons has also provoked new research focused on the detection and laboratory diagnosis of diseases associated with these organisms. Finally, the global spread of diseases such as AIDS, SARS, and tuberculosis has brought the important role of clinical microbiologists in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases to the forefront of modern medicine.

Acquisition of new knowledge, in any field, is an incremental process. One of the important roles for journals, such as the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, is to report new information in a timely manner that will allow other research investigators to assimilate the published information and use it to seek answers to new questions raised by the previously published work. This process will not change in the foreseeable future, although the knowledge base available to scientists will expand greatly. The use of genomics and proteomics to answer questions about basic mechanisms on the molecular level is likely to be part of a major change in how we study microbial pathogens. The search for new approaches to control the spread of disease-causing organisms will also be based on a more complete understanding of their genetic makeup. Targeting specific genetic or cellular functions using molecular engineering rather than finding a therapeutic compound by chance will be based on the acquisition of new knowledge in the field of clinical microbiology. Finally, the very methods that we use for isolation and identification of microbial pathogens will most likely change dramatically as new approaches to the use of genomic and proteomic data become available.

The Journal of Clinical Microbiology is dedicated to publishing the very best scientific information relevant to clinical microbiology. As one of the leading journals in this area, we take our responsibility to provide the highest quality information seriously. The rigorous peer review process required for publication in the Journal helps to maintain the high quality of the Journal. In addition, all of the various facets of clinical microbiology, including epidemiology, unusual cases, and reviews of pertinent topics, are included in the Journal. We believe that the Journal serves the public by providing clinical scientists with timely information on the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of microbial pathogens.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Andrew B. Onderdonk, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief
American Society for Microbiology, publishers