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Volume 170, Issue 8

‘Wild Type’ Open Access

Abstract

In this opinion piece, we consider the meaning of the term ‘wild type’ in the context of microbiology. This is especially pertinent in the post-genomic era, where we have a greater awareness of species diversity than ever before. Genomic heterogeneity, evolution/selection pressures, definition of ‘the wild’, the size and importance of the pan-genome, gene–gene interactions (epistasis), and the nature of the ‘wild-type gene’ are all discussed. We conclude that wild type is an outdated and even misleading phrase that should be gradually phased out.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): Escherichia coli , evolution , laboratory strain , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and wild-type
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Blavatnik Family Foundation
    • Principal Award Recipient: SivanNir
  • Herchel Smith Foundation
    • Principal Award Recipient: LeonardoMancini
  • Cystic Fibrosis Trust
    • Principal Award Recipient: JemimaE.V. Swain
  • Oliver Gatty
    • Principal Award Recipient: ÉvaBernadett Bényei
  • Benn W. Levy
    • Principal Award Recipient: RahanRudland Nazeer
  • BBSRC
    • Principal Award Recipient: JemimaE.V. Swain
  • Leverhulme Trust
    • Principal Award Recipient: MartinWelch
© 2024 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. This article was made open access via a Publish and Read agreement between the Microbiology Society and the corresponding author’s institution.
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2024-08-30
2025-11-16

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