Kyoto University · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Professor Ryota Gomi's research lab specializes in environmental and One Health microbiology, focusing on the detection, characterization, and genomic analysis of antimicrobial-resistant and pathogenic bacteria in environmental and clinical settings. The lab employs next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics approaches to investigate the spread of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in *Enterobacteriaceae*, particularly *Escherichia coli* and *Klebsiella* species, in wastewater, rivers, and healthcare environments. A key focus is understanding the role of plasmids in horizontal gene transfer and the development of molecular tools for microbial source tracking and resistance surveillance.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Contamination of surface waters by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and pathogenic bacteria is a great concern. In this study, 531 <i>Escherichia coli</i> isolates obtained from the Yamato River in Japan were evaluated phenotypically for resistance to 25 antimicrobials. Seventy-six isolates (14.3%) were multidrug resistant (MDR), 66 (12.4%) were nonsusceptible to one or two classes of agents, and 389 (73.3%) were susceptible. We performed whole-genome sequencing of selected strains by using Illu
Wastewater is considered a major source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria released into the environment. Here, we characterized carbapenemase-producing <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> (CPE) in wastewater by whole-genome analysis. Wastewater samples (<i>n</i> = 40) were collected from municipal wastewater treatment plants and hospital wastewater in Japan and Taiwan. Samples were screened for CPE using selective media, and the obtained isolates were sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq. The isolates (<i>n</
High levels of fecal bacteria are a concern for the aquatic environment, and identifying sources of those bacteria is important for mitigating fecal pollution and preventing waterborne disease. Escherichia coli has been used as an indicator of fecal pollution, however less success has been achieved using this organism for library-independent microbial source tracking. In this study, using next-generation sequencing technology we sequenced the whole genomes of 22 E. coli isolates from known sourc
Contamination of environmental waters by extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (ESBLEC) is of great concern. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and hospitals release large amounts of ESBLEC into the environment. In the present study, we isolated ESBLEC strains from wastewater collected from a WWTP and a hospital in Japan and performed whole-genome sequencing to characterize these strains. Genomic analysis of 54 strains (32 from the WWTP and 22 from hospital wast
The occurrence of pathogenic Escherichia coli in environmental waters increases the risk of waterborne disease. In this study, 14 virulence genes in 669 E. coli isolates (549 isolates from the Yamato River in Japan, and 30 isolates from each of the following hosts: humans, cows, pigs, and chickens) were simultaneously quantified by multiplex PCR and dual index sequencing to determine the prevalence of potentially pathogenic E. coli. Among the 549 environmental isolates, 64 (12%) were classified
Plasmids play an important role in bacterial evolution and mediate horizontal transfer of genes including virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. Although short-read sequencing technologies have enabled large-scale bacterial genomics, the resulting draft genome assemblies are often fragmented into hundreds of discrete contigs. Several tools and approaches have been developed to identify plasmid sequences in such assemblies, but require trade-off between sensitivity and specificity. Here we
Occurrence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (ESBLEC) in environmental waters is of great concern. However, unlike clinical ESBLEC, their genetic characteristics, in particular the genetic contexts of ESBL genes, are not well understood. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of CTX-M-producing <i>E. coli</i> isolates recovered from river water to fully characterize the genetic contexts of <i>bla</i> <sub>CTX-M</sub> genes. Among the 14 isola
The global increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health concern. An effective AMR surveillance tool is needed to track the emergence and spread of AMR. Wastewater surveillance has been proposed as a resource-efficient tool for monitoring AMR carriage in the community. Here, we performed genomic surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli obtained from fecal sludge and sewage in Uganda to gain insights into E. coli epidemiology and AMR burden in the underlying
This study revealed the presence of rare/novel carbapenemases among CPE in aquatic environments, suggesting that the environment may act as a potential reservoir of these minor carbapenemases.
Previous studies have reported the occurrence of transferable quinolone resistance determinants in environmental Escherichia coli. However, little is known about their vectors and genetic contexts. To gain insights into these genetic characteristics, we analyzed the complete genomes of 53 environmental E. coli isolates containing one or more transferable quinolone resistance determinants, including 20 sequenced in this study and 33 sourced from RefSeq. The studied genomes carried the following t
ABSTRACT Plasmids play an important role in bacterial evolution and mediate horizontal transfer of genes including virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. Although short-read sequencing technologies have enabled large-scale bacterial genomics, the resulting draft genome assemblies are often fragmented into hundreds of discrete contigs. Several tools and approaches have been developed to identify plasmid sequences in such assemblies, but require trade-off between sensitivity and specificity
International audience
This demo presents a triangular actuating device stand that can automatically adjust the height and tilt angle of a mounted mobile device (e.g., smartphone) to adapt to the user’s varying interaction needs (e.g., touch, browsing, and viewing). We employ a unique mechanism to deform the stand’s triangular shape with two extendable reel actuators, which enables us to reposition the mobile screen mounted on the hypotenuse side. Each actuator is managed by the mobile device and controls the height a
ABSTRACT The global increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health concern. An effective AMR surveillance tool is needed to track the emergence and spread of AMR. Wastewater surveillance has been proposed as a resource-efficient tool for monitoring AMR carriage in the community. Here, we performed genomic surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli obtained from fecal sludge and sewage in Uganda to gain insights into E. coli epidemiology and AMR burden in the un
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