Pantoea agglomerans strain:TH81 Genome sequencing and assembly

Resistant microbes may have a significant negative impact on the health of Alaskans. Identifying specific antibiotic resistant microbes is essential for quick and appropriate treatment. Increased antibiotic resistance in the environment may limit treatment options for infections. As the climate changes and permafrost thaws, antibiotic resistant microbes may multiply at an increased rate. Multidrug resistance genes are often found on plasmids, enabling the rapid sharing via horizontal gene transfer. Using culture-based methods, we found widespread antibiotic resistance along with heavy metal tolerance in local boreal forest soils affected by thawing permafrost. We sequenced our cultured bacteria using both Illumina and the Oxford Nanopore MinION to generate long-reads. We performed hybrid assemblies using both technologies. We identify individual resistance genes present in our samples. Importantly, these methods allow us to better understand the environmental reservoir of antibiotic resistance in Alaska.