Testing antibiotic resistance in a segment of DNA from Elizabethkingia miricola

Abstract

As a class, our goal was to determine if a certain gene in Elizibethkingia miricola is an antibiotic resistance gene. Through computer analysis, we were able to determine many possible beta lactamase resistance genes. We tested these genes through a polymerase chain reaction. We made millions of clones of our gene and by doing so, we were able to insert that gene into E. coli cells and test whether or not it was a gene that caused beta lactam resistance. Our gene was proven through this to be a beta lactamase gene, which coded for beta lactam resistance in Elizibethkingia miricola.