Antibiotic resistance has become a global critical issue that threatens the effectiveness of treatments against bacterial infections. The blaTEM gene in Escherichia coli codes the beta-lactamase enzymes, which lower the effect of beta-lactam antibiotics such as ampicillin. The development of the CRISPR-Phage system targeting the blaTEM gene has been proposed in order to restore antibiotic efficacy. Using a highly designed CRISPR-Cas9 construct combined with bacteriophage elements, the blaTEM gene is successfully disrupted that was further validated through sequencing and antibiotic sensitivity assays. This approach shows the efficiency of CRISPR-Phage as a valuable tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance and points to some future applications for clinical and environmental use.

Authors List :
Dhiqrah M. Essa
Presenting Author :
Dhiqrah M. Essa
Affiliations :
Northwest High School, Germantown, Maryland, USA
Email :
dhiqrahme@gmail.com
Key Words (5 Words Maximum) :
CRISPR-Cas9, Antibiotic Resistance, blaTEM Gene, Bacteriophage Therapy, Biotechnology