Life Sciences Commons^™

Characterizing Mab Cluster R Prophage Of Pathogen Mycobacterium Abscessus (Mab), Madeline Kimble

Honors College

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is an emerging pathogen that can cause pulmonary, skin and disseminating infections. It is one of the most drug-resistant pathogens and infections typically result in high morbidity and mortality. Understanding mechanisms of antibiotic resistance is critical for developing more effective treatments. Prophage, integrated viral genomes, are known to contribute to bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance, yet Mab prophages remain largely uncharacterized.My research aims to characterize the diversity of the novel cluster MabR prophage genomes. The Molloy lab has demonstrated that the prophage McProf increases mycobacterial resistance to antibiotics. Using the McProf prophage genome sequence, we probed the …