Biography:

Dr. Ramy Karam Aziz received his PhD from the University of Tennessee, USA in 2005. Currently, Professor and Acting Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University. His research interests include microbial systems biology, genomics and metagenomics; microbiome and resistome analysis, and pharmacomicrobiomics (or drug-microbiome interactions). He has published one book, six book sections, three editorials, and 55 peer-reviewed articles.

Abstract:

Presentation Title: Improving Human Health from the Inside Out: Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health and Precision Medicine Abstract: Biology and medicine were revolutionized at the start of this Millennium, with the emergence of the fields of genomics and metagenomics. Genomic analysis is based on deciphering the code of life: the nucleic acid sequence that dictates the structure and function of every living form, from the tiniest virus to the largest mammal. Metagenomic technologies use DNA sequence analysis to understand invisible communities of living forms residing in and around humans: from human-associated bacteria (the microbiome) to microbial communities in the most extreme environments. This presentation will define these recent advances in biology, highlighting their importance and applications of understanding and improving human health from the inside out. For example, microbes may control diet assimilation and predispose some individuals to obesity while protecting others from obesity and diabetes. Even mental health could be affected by diet-genetic-microbiome interactions. Precision medicine is achieved by understanding these complex interactions and how they affect each individual differently. On another front, using genomics and metagenomics also helps in protecting humans from emerging exogenous biothreats: new pathogenic bacteria and viruses, contamination of drinking water, as well as the spread of superbugs or bacterial strains that are untreatable by any of the existing antibiotics. In conclusion, novel DNA sequencing-based technologies are revolutionizing life sciences and bringing scientific discovery to unprecedented speed and depth that are likely to improve, not only scientific knowledge, but also economy, human health, and food and drug industry.