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ARTICLE TYPE : REVIEW ARTICLE

Published on :   05 Mar 2026, Volume - 2
Journal Title :   WebLog Journal of Genetics and Genomic Research | WebLog J Genet Genomic Res
Source URL:   weblog iconhttps://weblogoa.com/articles/wjggr.2026.c0507
Permanent Identifier (DOI) :  doi iconhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19115242

Pathogenicity, Species, and Resistance: Fixed Categories or Functional Constructs? A Call for Relational Microbiology

Max Roberto Batista Araújo 1 *
Vasco Azevedo 2
1Hermes Pardini Institute (Fleury Group), Microbiology, Vespasiano, Brazil
2Department of Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Abstract

Classical microbiology has long relied on discrete categories to define bacterial species, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance. However, comparative genomics of neglected species reveals the limitations of these rigid frameworks. Using Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum as a paradigm, we argue that these concepts are better understood as functional constructs that depend on genomic, ecological, and clinical contexts rather than fixed biological entities. This perspective challenges traditional dichotomies and calls for a relational approach to modern microbiology.

Keywords: Bacterial Species Concept; Pathogenicity; Antimicrobial Resistance; Comparative Genomics; Corynebacterium

Citation

Batista Araújo MR, Azevedo V. Pathogenicity, Species, and Resistance: Fixed Categories or Functional Constructs? A Call for Relational Microbiology. WebLog J Genet Genomic Res. wjggr.2026.c0507. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19115242
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