bitBiome develops novel antimicrobial against MRSA using their microbial single cell sequencing platform and proprietary database.
Tokyo, Japan- June 26, 2024 – bitBiome, Inc., a biotechnology company unlocking the potential of our planet’s microbes to power the future of the bioeconomy, has published a paper titled “Uncovering Endolysins against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Using a Microbial Single-Cell Genome Database” in ACS Infectious Diseases.
The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria is a serious global issue. The increase in infections that cannot be treated with traditional antibiotics puts many lives at risk. This is especially critical in medical settings where the development of new treatments is urgently needed. Endolysins, enzymes derived from bacteriophages, are expected to be a new modality of antibacterial drugs.
From our unique microbial single-cell genome database (bitGEM), we have discovered a number of novel and diverse endolysins that were previously unidentified in public databases.
Our approach involves identifying endolysins from prophage regions within single-cell genome data, allowing us to establish a direct one-to-one relationship between an endolysin gene and its host (target) microbe. This is a significant advantage over metagenomic databases, which cannot link endolysin genes to specific host microbes.
Through a large-scale protein engineering campaign by shuffling domains of endolysin genes, we identified a highly active endolysin “bBst1027”. This endolysin exhibited superior properties, including:
– No development of endolysin-resistant bacteria
– An exceptionally high bactericidal effect (reduction by 9 logs)
The future of endolysin research is incredibly promising. With the potential to address the global healthcare crisis of antimicrobial resistance, endolysins like “bBst1027” offer a novel and effective solution. At bitBiome, we are committed to accelerating this research, paving the way for groundbreaking treatments that could revolutionize how we combat resistant infections.
This discovery opens a new path for antimicrobial development and contributes to the advancement of treatments against a wide range of bacteria. Through this innovative research, bitBiome aims to make significant contributions to the future of medicine.
For more information: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00039
About bitBiome, Inc.
bitBiome is a biotechnology company unlocking the full potential of our planet’s microbes to power the future of the bioeconomy. bitBiome’s platform is built on their proprietary single-cell microbial genome analysis technology, bit-MAP ®, which has enabled the creation of bit-GEM: an extensive and groundbreakingly diverse microbial database of over 2 billion sequences, sourced primarily from environmental samples and containing sequences not present in public databases. Leveraging their expertise in bioinformatics and machine learning, the company also offers a comprehensive enzyme discovery and engineering platform, bit-QED, which encompasses the identification, assessment, and modification of enzymes through wet lab evaluation and directed evolution. bitBiome is committed to improving existing biomanufacturing industries and creating new ones by delivering sequences and enzymes that cannot be found anywhere else. To learn more about bitBiome’s platform and services, visit www.bitbiome.bio.
Contact: info@bitbiome.bio