Biowulf 20th anniversary seminar series: Sean Conlan (NHGRI)

The Biowulf 20th anniversary seminar series continues with:


  Using whole-genome sequencing to investigate hospital-associated
  bacterial reservoirs

*Sean Conlan*

*Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, NHGRI*

*Thursday, June 6, 2019*

*11 am - noon*

*Bldg 50, Rm 1227*


*Abstract*

Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) impact 650,000 patients annually,
with estimated costs in the billions of dollars. The hospital
environment is a reservoir for bacteria that can cause such infections.
We have performed two large-scale genomic analyses of bacteria
associated with hospital plumbing and infrastructure, in order to better
characterize this environment. In the first study, we identified
hospital plumbing as the reservoir for a cluster of multi-drug resistant
/Sphingomonas koreensis/ isolates collected from patients over a decade.
In a second study, sink drains, housekeeping equipment and high-touch
surfaces were surveyed for carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs). We
compared culture and whole genome sequencing data from this survey with
previously collected information from five years of patient isolates.
These studies further our understanding of gene-flow between clinically
relevant microorganisms and the importance of bacterial reservoirs
within the hospital environment.



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