On April 13, 2024, IBHH Assistant Professor Dr. Stephen Molldrem published an article in the journal BioSocieties. It is titled “What to do with the new molecular publics: the vernacularization of pathogen genomics and the future of infectious disease biosocialities.” The essay describes how the widespread use of pathogen genomic sequencing infrastructures in infectious disease control programs, paired with media coverage about genetic variants of pathogens in circulation, has led to the emergence of a novel socio-technical form, which he calls a “molecular public.” The article frames molecular publics as “as a useful analytic for social studies of infectious disease and a vector through which novel biosocialities mediated by pathogens can emerge.” This work builds on Dr. Molldrem’s research on the socio-technical, political-economic, and ethical implications of pathogen genomics on public health and society.
Full citation: Molldrem, Stephen. “What to Do with the New Molecular Publics: The Vernacularization of Pathogen Genomics and the Future of Infectious Disease Biosocialities.” BioSocieties, April 13, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41292-024-00326-1.
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