Exiguobacterium as a Potential Source of Antibiotics: A Genomic Analysis
Katelyn Ha
Department of Biology
Faculty Supervisor: José R. de la Torre
Antibiotic resistance acquired by bacteria is a growing global challenge as it causes commonly prescribed antibiotics to lose effectiveness over time. This study investigates the antibiotic potential of Exiguobacterium sp. BMC-KP by comparing its genome to a known antimicrobial strain within the genus and other bacteria used in broad-spectrum antibiotic production. KEGG pathway analysis was used to examine biological pathways across all bacterial strains under investigation, while IMG was used for comparative genomic analysis between Exiguobacterium sp. BMC-KP and established antibiotic-producing bacteria. Our findings reveal shared genes between the two Exiguobacterium strains and conserved biosynthetic pathways among all studied bacteria. This suggests the potential for Exiguobacterium sp. BMC-KP to be used as a new antibiotic source. Such results mean there is a new and unused resource that may contribute to the development of new antibiotics and offer a promising future in the fight against antibiotic resistance.