Microbiology in the post-genomic era

Thirteen years after the first bacterial genome was sequenced, Rino Rappuoli, Stanley Falkow and colleagues review what has changed in microbiology research as a consequence of genomics and address the implications of the genomic era for the future of microbiology. Genomics has revolutionized every aspect of microbiology. Now, 13 years after the first bacterial genome was sequenced, it is important to pause and consider what has changed in microbiology research as a consequence of genomics. In this article, we review the evolving field of bacterial typing and the genomic technologies that enable comparative analysis of multiple genomes and the metagenomes of complex microbial environments, and address the implications of the genomic era for the future of microbiology.