Recent developments of high-throughput sequencing technologies and systems biology methods open novel opportunities to investigate pathogen, pathogen-host interactions, and infectious diseases at system-wide scales. For example, the tool antigenic map has been adopted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in US to help select vaccine strains for seasonal influenza each year. Disease transmission models have been used to study and help inform public health interventions for a few infectious diseases for human and animals. However, the clinical application of computational tools is still on its early stage.

With more and more data available for pathogens and their hosts at genome, transcriptome, proteome, mythylome, and epigenome levels, computational modelling, big data analysis, and systems biology have become more and more important in revealing the biological mechanisms underlying these data, unraveling the secrets behind pathogen evolution, infection, and pathogen-host interactions. Possible immediate applications include the following: (1) the whole genome sequence data analysis of pathogen allows investigation of the genomic determinants of disease severity; (2) the study of the interaction between host and pathogen would allow a better understanding of the diseases and thus a better treatment. For example, through the whole genome sequencing study on the integration of HBV or HCV virus DNA into human genome, one would be able to understand probably over half cases of liver cancers; (3) the sequencing data of patients (and their microenvironment) with drug resistance will help identify the resistance genes and thus contribute to improving the drug efficacy for infectious diseases. These studies are critical towards a better surveillance on infectious diseases and a better therapy against pathogens.

We solicit high quality original research as well as review articles for investigating pathogen, pathogen-host interaction, and infectious disease.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Next generation sequencing techniques in infectious diseases and medical microbiology
• Big data analysis in virology, infectious diseases, and medical microbiology
• Systems biology analysis in host-pathogen interaction
• Metagenomic approach in virology and microbiology
• Computer-assisted studies of function and structure of viruses
• Identification of genomic variants of pathogens or hosts associated with disease
• Identification of pathogen-induced alterations in host gene expression and epigenetics
• Evolution of pathogen and coevolution of pathogen and host
• Computational methods in predicting antigenic sites and drug sensitivity of specific pathogens
• Predicative model of disease state
• Infectious disease transmission models