Determining the Authenticity of Possible Antibiotic Resistant Genes from the Bacteria Elizabethkingia anophelis

Abstract

We hypothesize that the bacteria Elizabethkingiaanophelis is able to produce 3,851 β -lactamase enzymes, and were assigned #3,289 to study. β-lactamase cleave β-lactam antibiotics such as Penicillins, Cephalosporins, and Carbapenems. To determine if E.ano_3289 is a β-lactamase enzyme or not we chose PCR amplification and molecular cloning to test our hypothesis. Using Nitrocefin as a β -lactam substrate, we observed it supported our hypothesis. We have demonstrated the E. anophelis is a true β-lactamase enzyme and warrants further investigation.