Identification and Characterization of Three Antibiotic-Producing Bacterial Isolates
Major
Biology
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Biology, Pre-Medicine
Expected Graduation Date
2023
Location
CNS Atrium, Easel 14
Start Date
4-15-2023 10:30 AM
End Date
4-15-2023 11:45 AM
Abstract
A major global health challenge facing our society is the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics. In particular, there are six nosocomial pathogens that have evolved elevated multidrug resistance and virulence that are especially difficult to find effective treatments for, collectively referred to with the acronym ESKAPE. Student-sourcing antibiotic discovery, in coordination with the Tiny Earth Project, is one potential solution colleges and universities are utilizing to combat this problem. To study and characterize the secondary metabolites that bacteria produce in terms of potential antibiotics, bacterial colonies were isolated from soil samples collected from Lake Bloomington. Colonies were grown on plates of R2A and Rhizobium media and then screened against each of the six ESKAPE pathogens. Zones of inhibition surrounding a colony indicated the bacteria produced a secondary metabolite that killed the corresponding ESKAPE pathogen. Three bacterial isolates were identified that each killed one or more of the ESKAPE pathogens. The bacterial DNA was isolated, purified, and sent to Eton Bioscience to be sequenced. Sequencing data indicated the genus of each of three bacterial isolates of particular interest: Pararheinheimera, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas. Each isolate was characterized morphologically, physiologically, and metabolically and evaluated in terms of potential for antibiotic production. Our research provided evidence of three kinds of bacteria that produce metabolites that can be utilized as antibiotics. This research is important for providing valuable insight into genuses of bacteria that can be utilized for antibiotic development in the future to target the infamous ESKAPE pathogens.
Identification and Characterization of Three Antibiotic-Producing Bacterial Isolates
CNS Atrium, Easel 14
A major global health challenge facing our society is the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics. In particular, there are six nosocomial pathogens that have evolved elevated multidrug resistance and virulence that are especially difficult to find effective treatments for, collectively referred to with the acronym ESKAPE. Student-sourcing antibiotic discovery, in coordination with the Tiny Earth Project, is one potential solution colleges and universities are utilizing to combat this problem. To study and characterize the secondary metabolites that bacteria produce in terms of potential antibiotics, bacterial colonies were isolated from soil samples collected from Lake Bloomington. Colonies were grown on plates of R2A and Rhizobium media and then screened against each of the six ESKAPE pathogens. Zones of inhibition surrounding a colony indicated the bacteria produced a secondary metabolite that killed the corresponding ESKAPE pathogen. Three bacterial isolates were identified that each killed one or more of the ESKAPE pathogens. The bacterial DNA was isolated, purified, and sent to Eton Bioscience to be sequenced. Sequencing data indicated the genus of each of three bacterial isolates of particular interest: Pararheinheimera, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas. Each isolate was characterized morphologically, physiologically, and metabolically and evaluated in terms of potential for antibiotic production. Our research provided evidence of three kinds of bacteria that produce metabolites that can be utilized as antibiotics. This research is important for providing valuable insight into genuses of bacteria that can be utilized for antibiotic development in the future to target the infamous ESKAPE pathogens.