AI Article Synopsis
- DNA sequencing and molecular phylogenetics are essential tools in virology for studying virus transmission and predicting future epidemics by analyzing the evolutionary history of viral genomes.
- Many researchers find phylogenetics challenging and often use a simplified 'black box' approach, which can lead to inaccuracies in understanding viral relationships, especially in critical situations like tracking human transmission.
- This review aims to provide a clear guide to molecular phylogenetics, outlining methods and software for DNA sequence analysis and directing readers to additional resources for deeper understanding.
Article Abstract
DNA sequencing and molecular phylogenetics are increasingly being used in virology laboratories to study the transmission of viruses. By reconstructing the evolutionary history of viral genomes the behaviour of viral populations can be modelled, and the future of epidemics may be forecast. The manner in which such viral DNA sequences are analysed is the focus of this review. Many researchers resort to the often-quoted 'black box' approach because phylogenetics theory can be daunting, and phylogenetics software packages can appear to be difficult to use. However, because phylogenetic analyses are often used in important and sensitive arenas, for example to provide evidence indicating transmission between persons, it is vital that appropriate care is taken to estimate reliably true relationships. In this review, we discuss how a molecular phylogenetics study should be approached, give an overview of the methods and programs for analysing DNA sequence data, and point readers to appropriate texts for further details. The aim of this review, therefore, is to provide researchers with an easy to understand guide to molecular phylogenetics, with special reference to viral genomes.
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