“A recent widespread outbreak of Escherichia coli O104:H4 in Germany demonstrates the dynamic nature of emerging and re-emerging food-borne pathogens, particularly STECs and related pathogenic E. coli. Rapid genome sequencing and public availability of these data from the German outbreak strain allowed us to identify an O-antigen-specific bacteriophage tail spike protein encoded in the genome. We synthesized this gene and fused it to the tail fiber gene of an R-type pyocin, a phage tail-like bacteriocin, and expressed the novel bacteriocin such that the tail fiber fusion was incorporated into the bacteriocin structure. The resulting particles have bactericidal activity specifically against E. coli strains that produce the O104 lipopolysaccharide antigen, including the outbreak strain. This O-antigen tailspike-R-type pyocin strategy provides a platform to respond rapidly to emerging pathogens upon the availability of the pathogen’s genome sequence.”
When an outbreak in pathogenic E coli broke out in Germany last summer, scientists were able to sequence the genome in a few hours on a Life Technologies Ion PGM sequencer. This speed gave the public health official insight into what they were dealing with.
This paper linked to below, was able to then take the sequence and rapidly create a strain-specifc bacteriocin-phage bacteriocide. And, based on the submission date, they did this in a few months.
This points to a promising future where we sequence the pathogen the day we discover it and rapidly create targeted bactericides. Cool. And our kids will look back and wonder why were were trying carpet-bomb bacteria with rapidly useless antibiotics. This is the post-antibiotic age.
