Antimicrobial Resistance Profiling of Alligator Gut Microbiome Isolates

Poster Number

15C

Lead Author Major

Pre-Pharmacy

Lead Author Status

Junior

Second Author Major

Biological Sciences

Second Author Status

Junior

Format

Poster Presentation (Research Day, April 30)

Faculty Mentor Name

Paul Orwin

Faculty Mentor Department

Biological Sciences

Graduate Student Mentor Name

Julissa Perez-Marron

Graduate Student Mentor Department

Biological Sciences

Abstract/Artist Statement

Antibiotic resistance research has become urgent due to the lack of development of new antibiotics and the increase in multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, which have become a global threat. Due to its large and diverse microbial population, the gut microbiome has been suggested to be a great candidate for antibiotic resistance research. In a recent study, antibiotic resistance gene elements were identified in samples of the gut of an American alligator. The goal of this project is to confirm antibiotic resistance among potential antibiotic-resistant isolated colonies from these previously mentioned alligator gut samples. Bacteria were isolated from this gut microbiota based on the resistance genes identified using a disk diffusion enrichment approach. The isolates were identified based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and we have tested some of these isolated strains for antibiotic resistance using a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The MIC assay was performed to determine antibiotic resistance within these selected strains against antibiotics, Ampicillin, Gentamycin, Tetracycline, Rifampin, Chloramphenicol, Kanamycin, and Ciprofloxacin, which are from different classes with different potencies. We found that six of the strains were multi-drug resistant. We found that Ciprofloxacin was mainly inhibitory to all the tested strains, while Ampicillin and Kanamycin were unable to inhibit any of the strains. Moving forward with this project we hope to successfully link the previously identified antibiotic resistance gene elements to resistance seen within the minimal inhibitory assay. This can deepen our understanding of the gut microbiome serving as a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance elements which can aid in furthering the development of novel antibiotics.

Location

Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center

Start Date

30-4-2022 10:00 AM

End Date

30-4-2022 12:00 PM

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 30th, 10:00 AM Apr 30th, 12:00 PM

Antimicrobial Resistance Profiling of Alligator Gut Microbiome Isolates

Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center

Antibiotic resistance research has become urgent due to the lack of development of new antibiotics and the increase in multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, which have become a global threat. Due to its large and diverse microbial population, the gut microbiome has been suggested to be a great candidate for antibiotic resistance research. In a recent study, antibiotic resistance gene elements were identified in samples of the gut of an American alligator. The goal of this project is to confirm antibiotic resistance among potential antibiotic-resistant isolated colonies from these previously mentioned alligator gut samples. Bacteria were isolated from this gut microbiota based on the resistance genes identified using a disk diffusion enrichment approach. The isolates were identified based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and we have tested some of these isolated strains for antibiotic resistance using a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The MIC assay was performed to determine antibiotic resistance within these selected strains against antibiotics, Ampicillin, Gentamycin, Tetracycline, Rifampin, Chloramphenicol, Kanamycin, and Ciprofloxacin, which are from different classes with different potencies. We found that six of the strains were multi-drug resistant. We found that Ciprofloxacin was mainly inhibitory to all the tested strains, while Ampicillin and Kanamycin were unable to inhibit any of the strains. Moving forward with this project we hope to successfully link the previously identified antibiotic resistance gene elements to resistance seen within the minimal inhibitory assay. This can deepen our understanding of the gut microbiome serving as a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance elements which can aid in furthering the development of novel antibiotics.