Biology to Molecular Biology Changing scenario in Medicine

Dr.T.V.Rao MD

The greatest achievements in the Medical sciences are attributed to developments

in Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of several diseases. Today progress in the
world is mainly contributed by control of Infectious diseases. We are heading to
cross roads, many of the past technologies are giving way to several microbes,
they escape our present methods of detection and resistant to several drugs we use
to eliminate them. We the scientific communities have no options left, except to
search for new paths in science and newer technologies. Till recently the Science
made best progress with phenotypic methods, however in the recent past Molecular
methods have dominated all other forms of technologies. The division of
Bioinformatics changed the advances in Science which is bringing together the
fields of Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, and Genetics under the
fold of computers and soft ware advances in computer technology.

The discoveries of Watson-Crick in basic

understanding of Bacterial DNA (Genome) made us rich to know about ourselves. Many
commercial establishments, with help of Scientists, are targeting majority of
diseases, important fields being AIDS, Mental illness, Autoimmune diseases,
Obesity, Alzheimer’s diseases, Heart diseases, Parkinson’s disease and emerging
trends on Multidrug resistant tuberculosis ( MDR ). The molecular medicine made
the physicians know the realities of the disease before taking heroic decisions

Need of Molecular biology in Microbiology

All the great achievements with discovery of pencillin

are diluted with, onset of pencillin being inactivated with genetic alteration of
Staphylococcus aureus,gaining resistance. The progress of dealing with gram-
negative bacteria is hampered with production ßlactamase making the Cephalosporins
being not useful in several infections. The major antibiotic therapies are
throttled with Genetic mutation in Microbes. The present system of identification
is limited as there is a grwoing list of unknown and less known Microbes emerged
by human activities as mass migration and aforestation. The Medical profession is
challenged with onset of AIDS in 1981, made a bottle neck in progress of
developing countries. Major advances in Medicine as Transplantation made the
people venerable to less known infections, however genome based studies still in
infancy to locate the infection and find appropriate solutions.

Role of Molecular Biology identifies less known Infections

The emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases with selected

Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes along with several viruses, yeasts, moulds, dimorphic
fungi pose a ever growing challenge to clinical Microbiologists. On many
occasions the traditional and age old techniques rarely help for survival and
saving a life. Newer generation of Physicians and Microbiologists await newer
technologies in particular Molecular Biology techniques in life saving
circumstances

How to Implement Molecular Biology

It is true that molecular biology is in infancy, many in the developing

countries cannot afford. However we have to impress on the new generation of
Doctors and Scientists and Microbiologists and educate and teach about using the
newer technologies.

Email doctortvrao@gmail.com