26 August 2015
Years of overuse and misuse of the powerful antibiotic drugs has helped create strains of “super bugs,” or bacteria that develop mutations in their DNA that allow them to survive doses of even the most powerful medications on the market today. Public health officials are tracking where these deadly bacteria come from so that scientists can find a way to prevent global outbreaks.
Dr. Henrik Westh, a clinical microbiologist at Hvidovre University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, is one such scientist searching for ways to beat these stubborn bacteria. Dr. Westh is using next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, such as the Illumina MiSeq System, to identify and destroy deadly strains of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, specifically methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) — one of the most aggressive super bugs. By determining how this bacterium spreads, Dr. Westh’s analyses can help stop these ruthless bugs from causing millions of illnesses and deaths worldwide.
Learn more about his study, click here.
