Leptospira spp. genome sequencing

Leptospira spp. are aerobic and gram-negative spirochetes. Some of them can infect animals including humans and cause leptospirosis. Pathogenic Leptospira can be found in the environments such as soil and water, presumably being contaminated from the urine of infected animals. The purpose of this project is to determine and compare draft genome sequences of Leptospira spp. isolated from the environments using a selection medium composed of the antimicrobial agents sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, amphotericin B, fosfomycin and 5- fluorouracil. Whole genome information is useful to understand genome diversity of Leptospira spp. and to evaluate the potential pathogenicity of each isolate in the environments.