BiolabsHere’s What Scientists Learn from Studying Dangerous Pathogens in Secure Labs
There are about 1,400 known human pathogens – viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminths that can cause a person’s injury or death. But in a world with a trillion individual species of microorganisms, where scientists have counted only one one-thousandth of one percent, how likely is it researchers have discovered and characterized everything that might threaten people? Not very likely at all. And there’s a lot to be gained from knowing these microscopic enemies better.
There are about 1,400 known human pathogens – viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminths that can cause a person’s injury or death. But in a world with a trillion individual species of microorganisms, where scientists have counted only one one-thousandth of one percent, how likely is it researchers have discovered and characterized everything that might threaten people?
Not very likely at all. And there’s a lot to be gained from knowing these microscopic enemies better.
So even though in day-to-day life it makes sense to avoid these dangerous microorganisms, scientists like me are motivated to study them up close and personal to learn how they work. Of course, we want to do it in as safe a way as possible.
I’ve worked in biocontainment laboratories and have published scientific articles on both bacteria and viruses, including influenza and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Here at Oklahoma State University, 10 research groups are currently studying pathogens in biosecure labs. They’re identifying genetic variations of viruses and bacteria, studying how they operate within cells of their hosts. Some are untangling how the host immune system responds to these invaders and is affected by so-called comorbidities of obesity, diabetes or advanced age. Others are investigating how to detect and eliminate pathogens.
This kind of research, to understand how pathogens cause harm, is crucial to human and veterinary medicine, as well as the health of mammals, birds, fish, plants, insects and other species around the globe.
Forewarned Is Forearmed
Think about all scientists have learned in the past century about how to prevent diseases based on understanding which microorganism is responsible, where it is in the environment and how it overcomes humans’ natural defenses.
Understanding what these organisms do, how they do it, and how they spread helps researchers develop measures to detect, mitigate and control their expansion. The goal is to be able to cure or prevent the disease they cause. The more dangerous the pathogen, the more urgently scientists need to understand it.
This is where lab research comes in.
Scientists have basic questions about how a pathogen conducts itself. What machinery does it use to enter a host cell and replicate? What genes does it activate, to make which proteins? This kind of information can be used to pinpoint strategies to eliminate the pathogen or lead to disease treatments or vaccines.
