Novel Amoeba-resistant bacteria. Amoeba-resistant bacteria

Bacteria that are able to replicate and survive within amoeba hosts have been termed “amoeba-resistant bacteria” (ARB). Some of the bacteria are lytic for their amoebal hosts. These bacteria include members of the genus Legionella as well as other Legionella-like amoebal pathogens (LLAPs). Many of these bacteria do not grow on conventional laboratory media, yet serological evidence suggests that these LLAPs may be a significant cause of respiratory disease. Additionally, because amoeba naturally engulf bacteria, the amoeba host may also serve as a site for genetic exchange between microbes. The objectives of this project are to isolate novel ARB from amoeba found in both environmental and human-constructed water sources for whole genome sequencing.