Complete genome sequence of B273 and its epidermicin NI01 biosynthesis plasmid.

The human skin commensal produces diverse, therapeutically relevant bacteriocins. We report the complete whole-genome sequence of the nasal isolate B273, which contains a plasmid with the biosynthetic gene cluster for epidermicin NI01, a broad-spectrum type II antimicrobial peptide.

Evaluation of plasma activated liquids for the elimination of mixed species biofilms within endoscopic working channels.

The use of reusable flexible endoscopes has increased dramatically over the past decade, however despite improvements in endoscope reprocessing, the continued emergence of endoscopy-associated outbreaks as a result of multi-drug resistant bacteria has highlighted the need for a new approach to disinfection. Here, the use of plasma activated liquids (PALs) for the elimination of mixed species biofilm contamination within the working channels of endoscopes was evaluated. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma was used to chemically activate water and a commercially available pH buffered peracetic acid to create PALs.

Benchmarking classification abilities of novel optical photothermal IR spectroscopy at the single-cell level with bulk FTIR measurements.

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a simple, fast and inexpensive method with a history of use for bacterial analysis. However, due to the limitations placed on spatial resolution inherent to infrared wavelengths, analysis has generally been performed on bulk samples, leading to biological variance among individual cells to be buried in averaged spectra. This also increases the bacterial load necessary for analysis, which can be problematic in clinical settings where limiting incubation time is valuable.

Microbial keratitis in Southern Malawi: a microbiological pilot study.

Objective: Microbial keratitis (MK) is a significant cause of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the feasibility of using a novel corneal impression membrane (CIM) for obtaining and processing samples by culture, PCR and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in patients presenting with suspected MK in Malawi.

Methods And Analysis: Samples were collected from patients presenting with suspected MK using a 12 mm diameter polytetrafluoroethylene CIM disc.