Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Assembly

ME/PI/TZ combination and single drug minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were de- termined for 207 strains (including 121 MRSA, 4 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus [MSSA], 37 vancomycin- intermediate S. aureus [VISA], 6 ceftaroline non-susceptible MRSA, 29 coagulase-negative staphylococci [CoNS], 5 S. pseudointermedius and 5 vancomycin-resistant Enterococci [VRE]) by broth microdilution. Whole genomes of 168 S. aureus strains were sequenced, assembled, and comparatively analyzed to valuate the activity of the reported synergistic and collaterally sensitive antibiotic com- bination, meropenem/piperacillin/tazobactam (ME/PI/TZ), against a panel of methicillin-resistant Staphy- lococcus aureus (MRSA) and other methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species; and to investigate the rela- tionship between ME/PI/TZ susceptibility and the genomic background of clinical isolates of MRSA.