a Eijkman-Winkler Institute for Medical and Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
b U-gene Research B.V., cio University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Abstract:
The past 15 years the field of molecular biology and especially DNA technology has developed rapidly. This did not leave microbiology unaffected. DNA sequencing and the use of DNA probes led to new insights in the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance genes. It became clear that resistance determinants often show partial homology even when species are not closely related. DNA probes have established their value as epidemiological tools and currently efforts are being made to introduce them into routine diagnostics.