Genome_wide_association_Study_to_investigate_the_genetic_determinants_of_penicillin_resistance_in_circulating_strains_of_gonorrhoea_in_the_UK_

Antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea, which is the second most prevalent bacterial STI globally, threatens successful antibiotic treatment. This study proposes to address the determinants of resistance to penicillin, one of the antibiotics that has been abandoned for empirical treatment of gonorrhoea. This will be achieved by: a) determining predictive genotypic markers of penicillin resistance in gonorrhoea by comparing phenotypically penicillin resistant gonococcal isolates to susceptible isolates using a pathogen genome wide association approach; and b) assessing prevalence of genotypic determinants and the strength of their contribution to predicting resistance or susceptibility in clinical samples. The study will use GRASP isolates at Public Health England (PHE) including approximately 500 resistant and 200 susceptible isolates from 2007-2014, in addition to a further 300 susceptible isolates from other projects. A total of 1000 samples will be sequenced.