Peril and promise: Origins and spread of integron gene cassettes

整合子在病原体之间传播抗生素抗性基因方面起着重要作用。他们通过捕获编码抗性的基因盒式磁带来实现这一点，然而这些盒式磁带是如何产生的，它们起源于哪个分类群，以及盒式磁带可以编码的性状范围，这些都是30年来悬而未决的问题。这个项目解决了这些长期存在的问题。该项目将分析单个细菌细胞以检测新生成的卡带，并使用一种将卡带DNA与细菌16S rDNA联系起来的创新方法将其分配到特定的分类群。了解盒式起源是控制其活性的关键，既可以利用整合子用于生物技术，又可以防止病原体获得新的危险特性。

Integrons have a major role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes among pathogens. They do so by capturing gene cassettes encoding resistance, yet how these cassettes are generated, the taxa in which they originate, and the range of traits that cassettes can encode have been outstanding questions for 30 years. This project addresses these long standing questions. The project will analyze single bacterial cells to detect newly generated cassettes and assign them to specific taxa, using an innovative method that links cassette DNA to bacterial 16S rDNA. Understanding cassette origins is the key to controlling their activity, both to harness integrons for biotechnology, and to prevent pathogens from acquiring new, dangerous traits.