WALTHAM, Mass.--Genome Therapeutics announced that it has produced the first sequences of virulent strains of Enterobacter cloacae and Acinetobacter baumannii, two gram-negative bacteria that are major causes of serious infections. The sequences are now available in Version 4.0 of the company's proprietary microbial sequence database, PathoGenome.
The genomic information of E. cloacae and A. baumannii was derived from recent clinical isolates and sequenced using a whole-genome shotgun approach, with greater than six-fold sequence coverage, Genome Therapeutics said. The firm's industrial-scale sequencing and bioinformatics capabilities have identified more than 5,000 new E. cloacae genes by sequencing 5 million base pairs, and more than 4,000 A. baumannii genes by sequencing 3.8 million base pairs. The company said it has applied for patents on the sequences. Genome Therapeutics called PathoGenome an important tool for developing new antibiotics that combat drug-resistant bacteria.