From re-tracing history to uncovering architectural secrets: how sequencing is changing Bordetella pertussis research: Spotlight Session competition presentation

Long considered highly monomorphic, research into Bordetella pertussis has been revolutionised by sequencing. Progression from allele typing of selected genes to whole genome analysis has revealed an unforeseen level of variation in the bacterium, which is the major cause of whooping cough. Despite a vaccination programme with relatively high global uptake, whooping cough cases have been on the rise since the early 1990s. Large-scale genomic studies can show how the currently circulating population is evolving in response to vaccination, as well as pinpointing the 15th century outbreak when B. pertussis emerged as a global pathogen. In addition, we are now using long- and ultra-long-read sequencing to uncover secrets of B. pertussis genomic architecture, including rearrangements and duplication events. In this presentation I will bring together these examples, and more, to illustrate the many ways in which sequencing is changing B. pertussis research and informing our understanding of whooping cough resurgence.