Ultra-long reads and ultra-long duplications: Deciphering the mysteries of the Bordetella pertussis genome

Natalie Ring

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

In light of widespread resurgence of the respiratory disease whooping cough, ongoing research aims to identify changes to the causative bacterium, Bordetella pertussis. B. pertussis is traditionally described as a highly clonal species at the single-base level, hence our research largely focusses on identifying differences between strains on a whole-genome scale. Long-read sequencing has enabled us to produce closed genome sequences for B. pertussis isolates on an unprecedented scale, allowing visualisation of extensive inter-strain genomic rearrangements. This work also led to the unexpected discovery of a second phenomenon: large duplications which are present in some recent isolates but not in the B. pertussis reference genome. Intriguingly, these duplications may be present in only a fraction of the cells of duplication-carrying strains. At London Calling, I will discuss this developing story, including the essential role of long and ultra-long nanopore sequencing in proving the existence of the duplications and characterising variable populations, alongside continuing work to quantify the phenotypic effects of the duplications.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 24 May 2019
EventLondon Calling: Oxford Nanopore Technologies Annual Meeting - Old Billingsgate, London, UK United Kingdom
Duration: 22 May 201924 May 2019
https://londoncallingconf.co.uk/lc19

Conference

ConferenceLondon Calling: Oxford Nanopore Technologies Annual Meeting
Country/TerritoryUK United Kingdom
CityLondon
Period22/05/1924/05/19
Internet address

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