More than 2,000 mutant strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria have their own library at UNMC now.
The library is an important tool for scientists around the world seeking answers for how to better deal with staph infections.
The project — detailed in the Feb. 12 issue of mBio, the journal of the American Society for Microbiology — was spearheaded by Paul Fey, Ph.D., and Ken Bayles, Ph.D.
Dr. Fey is professor, pathology and microbiology, and medical director of clinical microbiology. Dr. Bayles is associate vice chancellor for basic science research and director of the UNMC Center for Staphylococcal Research.
Library of mutant staph bacteria is beneficial
Developed over the past four years, the library of mutant staph bacteria allows scientists to better understand how staph genes contribute to infections. It also helps pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs to combat staph infections that have become resistant to current therapies.
The mutant strains have been deposited in the Network on Antimicrobial Resistant Staphlococcus Aureus (NARSA), a repository funded by the National Institutes of Health. There is no cost for scientists to acquire these mutant strains.
Dr. Fey said it often takes several months for scientists to develop a single mutant strain. “Having access to the library of mutant strains saves them a lot of time and work, and it allows for rapid hypothesis generation for their research,” he said.
Genetic tools developed tocomplement the library