Required Gene Set for Autotrophic Growth of .

The majority of the genes present in bacterial genomes remain poorly characterized, with up to one-third of those that are protein encoding having no definitive function. Transposon insertion sequencing represents a high-throughput technique that can help rectify this deficiency. The technology, however, can only be realistically applied to those species in which high rates of DNA transfer can be achieved.

A Novel Bacteriophage with Broad Host Range against Clostridioides difficile Ribotype 078 Supports SlpA as the Likely Phage Receptor.

Bacteriophages represent a promising option for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) infection (CDI), which at present relies on conventional antibiotic therapy. The specificity of bacteriophages should prevent dysbiosis of the colonic microbiota associated with antibiotic treatment of CDI. While numerous phages have been isolated, none have been characterized with broad host range activity toward PCR ribotype (RT) 078 strains, despite their relevance to medicine and agriculture.