Artificial Intelligence in Microbiological Research: Methods, Applications and Implications

Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | 02 | Page :
    By

    V. Basil Hans,

  1. Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Christ (Deemed to be University) Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising microbiological research by enabling the rapid analysis of complex biological data and improving the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of scientific investigations. Recent advances in machine learning, deep learning, and bioinformatics have transformed AI into a powerful tool for studying microorganisms, their genetic composition, evolutionary patterns, and interactions with hosts and the environment. AI-driven computational models can process large and complex datasets far more efficiently than conventional analytical methods, allowing researchers to identify meaningful patterns and generate accurate predictions in a shorter period. AI has numerous applications in microbiology, including microbial identification and classification, prediction of antimicrobial resistance, microbial genome analysis, disease diagnosis, outbreak surveillance, and drug discovery. Advanced image recognition algorithms assist in the rapid identification of bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens, while genomic analysis tools facilitate the detection of mutations, virulence factors, and resistance genes. AI also supports the development of precision medicine by enabling personalised treatment strategies based on microbial and patient-specific data. Furthermore, AI-powered epidemiological models help monitor the spread of infectious diseases, predict potential outbreaks, and assist public health authorities in implementing timely preventive measures. Despite its significant advantages, the integration of AI into microbiological research faces several challenges. These include concerns regarding data quality and availability, model interpretability, algorithmic bias, privacy and security of biological data, and ethical and regulatory considerations. Addressing these issues is essential for ensuring the responsible and reliable use of AI technologies in healthcare and research. As computational technologies continue to advance, AI is expected to play an increasingly important role in microbiology by accelerating scientific discoveries, improving diagnostic accuracy, supporting the development of novel antimicrobial agents and vaccines, and strengthening global public health initiatives. This article discusses the diverse applications, advantages, challenges, and future prospects of artificial intelligence in microbiological research.

Keywords: Analysis of the microbiome, Predictive Modelling, Infectious Disease, Big Data Analytics, Computational Biology, Personalised Medicine

How to cite this article:
V. Basil Hans. Artificial Intelligence in Microbiological Research: Methods, Applications and Implications. Research and Reviews: A Journal of Microbiology and Virology. 2026; 16(02):-.
How to cite this URL:
V. Basil Hans. Artificial Intelligence in Microbiological Research: Methods, Applications and Implications. Research and Reviews: A Journal of Microbiology and Virology. 2026; 16(02):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjomv/article=2026/view=249058


References

 

  1. P. Shelke, A. K. Badge, N. J Bankar, “Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Microbial Diagnosis”, 2023. National Center for Biotechnology Information
  2. Yakimovich, “Toward the novel AI tasks in infection biology,” 2024 . ncbi.nIm.nih.gov
  3. Téllez Santoyo, C., Lopera, A., Ladino Vásquez, F., Seguí Fernández, et al. Identifying the most significant data for study in the field of infectious diseases: thinking based on artificial intelligence. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. K. Dudek, M. Chakhvadze, S. Kobakhidze, O. Kantidze, et al., “Supervised Machine Learning for Microbiomics: Bridging the Gap Between Current and Best Practice,” 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com
  5. Sharma et al., “Machine learning and deep learning based computational approaches in automatic microorganisms image recognition: Methodologies, challenges and developments,” 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. Zhang, C. Li, Y. Yin, J. Zhang et al., “Applications of Artificial Neural Networks in Microorganism Image Analysis: A Comprehensive Review from Conventional Multilayer Perceptron to Popular Convolutional Neural Network and Potential Visual Transformer,” 2021. Artificial Intelligence Review.
  7. van den Bogert, J. Boekhorst, W. Pirovano, and A.  May, “The Role of Bioinformatics and Data Science in Industrial Microbiome Applications,” 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. Prifti, E. Roy, E. Belda, J. D. Zucker, “Deep learning methods for metagenomics: a review,” 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. Y. Liu, D. Yu, M. M. Fan, X. Zhang, et al., “Antimicrobial resistance crisis: is artificial intelligence the answer?” 2024. National Center for Biotechnology Information
  10. Tran, N. Quy Nguyen, and H. . Tham Pham, “Artificial Intelligence: A New Hope in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance,” 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  11. Judith Marcos-Zambrano, K. Karaduzovic-Hadziabdic, T. Loncar Turukalo, P. Przymus, et al., “Applications of Machine Learning in Human Microbiome Studies: A Review on Feature Selection, Biomarker Identification, Disease Prediction and Treatment,” . 2021. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. Kumar Narayana, M. Mac Aogáin, W. Wen Bin Goh, K. Xia et al., “Mathematical-based microbiome analytics for clinical translation,” 2021. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  13. Rusic, M. Kumric, A. Seselja Perisin, D. Leskur et al., “Addressing the Antimicrobial Resistance “Pandemic” with Machine Learning Tools: A Summary of Available Evidence”, 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  14. H. Rau and A.  A. Zeidan, “Constraint-based modelling in microbial food biotechnology,” Ph.D. thesis, 2018. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  15. He, K., Liu, Z., Yang, M., Hannink, et al. State-of-the-art artificial intelligence technologies applied to biomedical literature and document mining. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  16. Chen, B. Martin, C. M. Daimon, and S. Maudsley, “Effective use of latent semantic indexing and computational linguistics in biological and biomedical applications,” 2013. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  17. H. Wang, H. Fakhruldeen, B. Peng, Pizzuto, et al., “Robot Skill Learning for Accelerating Laboratory Automation of Sample Scraping,” 2022. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2209.14875v2.pdf
  18. Börnigen D, Moon YS, Rahnavard G, Waldron L, McIver L, Shafquat A, Franzosa EA, Miropolsky L, Sweeney C, Morgan XC, Garrett WS, Huttenhower C. A reproducible method for high-throughput collecting and integration of biological data. PeerJ. 2014; 2: e469. 2015 Mar 31;3:e791. **doi:** 10.7717/peerj.791 PMID: 26157642; PMCID: PMC4493686.
  19. R. Pacheco, C. Pauvert, D. Kishore and D. Segrè, “Toward FAIR Representations of Microbial Interactions,” 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  20. S. Toh, F. Dondelinger, and D. . Wang, “Beyond the hype: applied AI and machine learning in translational medicine,” 2019. EBioMedicine 47 DOI:10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.08.027
  21. Templin, M. W. Perez, S. Sylvia, J. Leek et al., “Addressing 6 challenges in generative AI for digital health: A scoping review,” 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  22. Budach, M., Feuerpfeil, N., Ihde, A., Nathansen, et al. (2022). The Effects of Data Quality on Machine Learning Performance. https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.14529
  23. V. Jayakumar, P. Sounderajah, P. Normahani, L. Harling, et al. Quality evaluation criteria in artificial intelligence diagnosis accuracy systematic reviews: a meta-research study. 2022. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  24. Arne Undheim, “The Whack-a-Mole Governance Challenge for AI-Enabled Synthetic Biology: Literature Review and Emerging Frameworks,” 2024.
  25. Sandbrink, “Artificial intelligence and biological misuse: Distinguishing risks of language models and biological design tools,” 2023. [2306.13952]
  26. Herbold, B. Valerius, A. Mojica-Hanke, I. Lex et al., “Legal aspects for software developers interested in generative AI applications,” 2024. Mar.-Apr. 2025, vol., pp. 68-75. 42 DOI Bookmark 10.1109/MS.2024.3476677
  27. J. Gervais, “The Interfaces Between Big Data and Intellectual Property Law”, 2019. 10 (2019) Journal of Intellectual Property, Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Law (JIPITEC) 22  Vanderbilt Law Research Paper No. 19-36
  28. G. Al-Amran, A. M. Hezam, S. Rawaf and M. [5] G. Yousif, “Genomic Analysis and Artificial Intelligence: Predicting Viral Mutations and Future Pandemics,” 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.15936
  29. M. González, E. Rodríguez and M. Zanin. Menasalvas-Ruiz, “Public Health and Epidemiology Informatics: Can Artificial Intelligence Help Future Global Challenges? An Overview of Antimicrobial Resistance and Impact of Climate Change in Disease Epidemiology,” 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  30. Grey, J. Slavotinek, G. Dimaguila, Luis D. and D Choo, “Artificial Intelligence Education for the Health Workforce: Expert Survey of Approaches and Needs,” 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume 16
02
Received 09/06/2026
Accepted 28/06/2026
Published 29/06/2026
Publication Time 20 Days


Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics