Antibiotic discovery throughout the Small World Initiative: A molecular strategy to identify biosynthetic gene clusters involved in antagonistic activity

• Published in: MicrobiologyOpen (Weinheim) Vol. 6; no. 3
• Main Authors: Davis, Elizabeth, Sloan, Tyler, Aurelius, Krista, Barbour, Angela, Bodey, Elijah, Clark, Brigette, Dennis, Celeste, Drown, Rachel, Fleming, Megan, Humbert, Allison, Glasgo, Elizabeth, Kerns, Trent, Lingro, Kelly, McMillin, MacKenzie, Meyer, Aaron, Pope, Breanna, Stalevicz, April, Steffen, Brittney, Steindl, Austin, Williams, Carolyn, Wimberley, Carmen, Zenas, Robert, Butela, Kristen, Wildschutte, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2017; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - biosynthesis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; biosynthetic gene cluster; Biosynthetic Pathways - genetics; citizen science; Colleges & universities; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Drug Discovery - methods; Drug Discovery - organization & administration; Drug resistance; Drugs; Economics; Gene clusters; Gene sequencing; Genomes; Global health; Humans; Listeria; Listeria monocytogenes; Methicillin; Multigene Family; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Original Research; Pathogens; Polymerase chain reaction; Profitability; pseudomonads; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Small World Initiative; Soil bacteria; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Staphylococcus infections; Strains (organisms); Students; Transposon mutagenesis; United States; Universities; Workflow; Small World Initiative; citizen science; biosynthetic gene cluster; pseudomonads

The emergence of bacterial pathogens resistant to all known antibiotics is a global health crisis. Adding to this problem is that major pharmaceutical companies have shifted away from antibiotic discovery due to low profitability. As a result, the pipeline of new antibiotics is essentially dry and m...