Translational Molecular Microbiology in Infectious Diseases: Diagnostic Advances and Biotechnological Applications

Translational molecular microbiology has emerged as a key field at the interface between the basic research of microorganisms, clinical diagnosis, and biotechnology. Recent developments in nucleic acid-based methods have substantially enhanced the rapid and precise detection of infectious agents. Polymerase chain reaction, next-generation sequencing and CRISPR-based assays are common molecular tools that are widely used for  the identification of pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, and epidemiological surveillance. Besides diagnostic uses, molecular microbiology plays a key role in biotechnological innovation, microbial genome engineering, optimization of metabolic pathways, and production of enzymes, vaccines, and therapeutic proteins through recombinant technologies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular diagnostic platforms and their translational relevance to public health and biotechnology is presented. Emphasis is placed on bidirectional interaction between the molecular diagnostics, bioinformatics analysis, and microbial engineering approaches.