Pathogenic Mechanisms and New Technology-Based Diagnostics for Bacterial Infections

Respiratory infections are caused by pathogenic microorganisms invading the respiratory system, and are divided into upper respiratory tract and lower respiratory tract infections. Among them, upper respiratory tract infections caused by viruses have a higher incidence rate throughout the year; while lower respiratory tract infections are one of the highly fatal infectious diseases worldwide. Therefore, respiratory infections are one of the major challenges facing global public health. The rapid and accurate pathogen detection using cutting-edge biotechnology is key to the effective diagnosis and treatment of respiratory system diseases, and further research on pathogen transmission, infection, and pathogenic mechanisms using these technologies is of great significance in establishing new prevention and control measures. As technology continues to evolve, the diagnostic landscape for bacterial infections is poised for significant changes in the future. Pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial infections include invasion, adherence, evasion of the immune system, and immunity evasion and toxin production. Understanding pathogenic mechanisms and integrating new technologies in diagnostics is critical for public health.

This Research Topic is dedicated to exploring the mechanisms and diagnostics of respiratory pathogens infections, with an emphasis on embracing pioneering new technology-based methods or significant improvements in existing technologies. It covers the infection mechanisms of respiratory viruses and the developments in microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip technologies, and mobile health apps that facilitate the creation of portable, user-friendly, and affordable diagnostic tools for respiratory pathogen infections. This overview includes the applications of cutting-edge scientific technologies in exploring the epidemiology of respiratory pathogens, pathogenic mechanisms, transmission mechanisms, prevention and control, and other related aspects, including microorganisms and human immunity.

We welcome submissions focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics:
 The detection methods for the respiratory pathogens
 Establishment of new methods for the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens, while outperforming existing methods in one way or another.
 Significant improvements in the detection of single respiratory pathogens, including improvements in operational procedures, integration, and assay performance.
 Combining multiple technologies to achieve superior assay performance, e.g. combining microfluidics and CRISPR-Cas systems with molecular biology methods. Clearly define the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of new methods for detecting respiratory pathogens.