Bacterial Genomics

The mission of the Bacterial Genomics Group at Broad is to develop and implement 'omics methodologies to answer pressing questions related to bacteria and their role in human health.  A major focus is the evolution and spread of bacterial pathogens (and antibiotic resistance) including the interactions that these pathogens have with their host and host-associated microbiota.  We devise and carry out large-scale studies that employ genomic, metagenomic and transcriptomic data sets to understand human pathologies caused by e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae, the enterococci and uropathogenic Escherichia coli. We do this in close collaboration with clinical, academic and industry researchers from across the Broad community and around the globe. Click on the links below to learn more about specific projects.

 

Projects

TB-ARC initiative
Sequencing geographically and phenotypically diverse M. tuberculosis isolates to understand the evolution and determinants of drug resistance.

EnteroGenome project
Sequencing diverse strains of Enterococcus to understand the evolution of normally commensal bacteria into antibiotic-resistant, hospital-adapted pathogens.

Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Sequencing and comparison of CRE genomes to identify routes of CRE transmission and the transfer of carbapenem resistance elements.

Genomics and Metagenomics of Uropathogenesis
Sequencing, transcriptomics, and metagenomics of samples from urinary tract infections to understand the determinants of uropathogenicity.

Interactions between bacteria and host
Examining geographic expression patterns of bacterial and host genes in the gut to understand how bacteria colonize gut tissue.

Fusobacterium
Sequencing and comparative analysis of Fusobacterium genomes to understand determinants of invasion and pathogenicity.

Tool development
Development of tools to aid in the analysis of bacterial genomes.