Identification and characterization of alternative antimicrobials against Gardnerella vaginalis

Joint Conference on 6^th Annual Conference on Microbiology & Annual Conference on Microbes and Beneficial Microbes

October 16-17, 2017 Baltimore, USA

Megan Ross

Laurentian University, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Med Microb Diagn

Abstract :

Gardnerella vaginalis is the etiological agent of bacterial vaginosis (BV). Chronic BV infection affects women of child bearing ages on a global scale resulting in serious co-morbidities and pregnancy complications. Menace of increasing rates of antibiotic resistance has limited the success of antibiotic therapy outcomes and has increased the risk of chronic infection. Alternative therapeutic methods must be established to effectively treat BV. In this pilot study, a collection of G. vaginalis isolates consisted of 3 ATCC strains and 14 clinical isolates obtained from the National Microbiology Laboratory, was established. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles and genomic diversity of the collection was determined through Epsilometer test and genotyping, respectively. The isolates were determined to belong to at least three genotypes by ARDRA. A total of thirty-three bacterial isolates with potential antagonistic activities against G. vaginalis collection were isolated and further analyzed to determine their target range profiling and specificity. The nature of antimicrobial agents produced by anti-GV isolates were determined via genome sequencing and pangenomic analysis to be genetically regulated short peptides. Further characterization of these antibacterial peptides is underway.

Biography :

Megan Ross has completed her Honors BSc at Trent University and is currently an MSc candidate at Laurention University. She works under the supervision of Reza Nokhbeh at Health Science North Research Institute.