InSiDER - Invasion Success Determinants in bacteria and the Environmental Resistome
Environmental bacteria host a wide diversity of genes that can confer resistance to antibiotics, which can constitute a source of resistance to human pathogens. This project uses high-throughput sequencing techniques to identify genes improving colonization and invasion ability – or resistance to invasion – in microbial communities under exposure to sub-lethal antibiotics concentrations.
Research project funded by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS (3 MSEK) for the period 2017-2020. DNA sequencing is funded by the SciLifeLab Swedish Biodiversity Program (0.85 MSEK).
The project is coordinated by Johan Bengtsson-Palme (Biomedicine) and involves Prof. Joakim Larsson (Biomedicine) and Prof. Jo Handelsman (University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA).
Environmental bacteria host a wide diversity of genes that can confer resistance to antibiotics, which can constitute a source of resistance to human pathogens. This project uses high-throughput sequencing techniques to identify genes improving colonization and invasion ability – or resistance to invasion – in microbial communities under exposure to sub-lethal antibiotics concentrations. To achieve this, we use an experimental system constructed by Prof. Jo Handelsman, and large-scale sequencing of transposon mutants. The project will contribute important knowledge towards the understanding of microbial ecosystem interactions and highlight disturbances to the interactions in microbial communities caused by anthropogenic antibiotic exposure. The genes identified as important for invasion may include novel antibiotic resistance factors, potentially exploiting unknown resistance mechanisms, which could make their way into pathogens in the future. The results of the project will allow for prediction of secondary effects of antibiotic exposure and better prepare us for future challenges related to infections with resistant bacteria.