Klebsiella_Pacbio_AMR_phenotyping_genotyping_

Antibiotic resistance is emerging as a persistent threat to the effective clinical treatment of infections. Resistance is frequently associated with highly fit bacterial clades that rapidly acquire resistance yet retain fitness and virulence. Although some of the genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance have been identified, others which provide broad resistance in evolving clades remain unknown. We will use phylogenetically ordered (based on whole genome sequences) K. pneumoniae, including isolates representative of recent outbreaks and global species diversity, to investigate the mechanisms of resistance in this common hospital pathogen. This is part of a bacterial phenotyping study to investigate how these isolates respond at a cellular and transcriptional level to commonly used antibiotics, with a particular focus on the fluoroquinolones. Pacbio sequencing will provide important insight into plasmid- associated resistance mechanisms. We hope this study will lead to the identification of novel mechanisms mediating resistance within evolving bacterial clades.