Molecular Koch's postulates are a set of experimental criteria that must be satisfied to show that a gene found in a pathogenic microorganism encodes a product that contributes to the disease caused by the pathogen. Genes that satisfy molecular Koch's postulates are often referred to as virulence factors. The postulates were formulated by the microbiologist Stanley Falkow in 1988 and are based on Koch's postulates.

Postulates

As per Falkow's original descriptions, the three postulates are: To apply the molecular Koch's postulates to human diseases, researchers must identify which microbial genes are potentially responsible for symptoms of pathogenicity, often by sequencing the full genome to compare which nucleotides are homologous to the protein-coding genes of other species. Alternatively, scientists can identify which mRNA transcripts are at elevated levels in the diseased organs of infected hosts. Additionally, the tester must identify and verify methods for inactivating and reactivating the gene being studied. In 1996, Fredricks and Relman proposed seven molecular guidelines for establishing microbial disease causation: