Development of high-throughput techniques to assess bacteriocin activity for targeted pathogen management

Introduction/Objectives: As antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is on the rise, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer an effective solution against potential global pandemics. These AMPs, termed ‘bacteriocins’ are naturally produced by many microbial strains. AMPs may provide an alternative strategy to clinical antibiotic use due to their diverse mechanisms of action and diminished imposition of resistance. In an effort to develop high-throughput methods to assay bacteriocin activity against known pathogens, we employed spot plate, well diffusion, and microplate reader techniques to analyze the growth of bacteriocin-producing microbes on <i>Streptococcus agalactiae</i> (Group B Strep) and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA). In order to assess the collateral damage to beneficial microbes such as Lactic Acid Bacteria, we also considered the bacteriocin activity against <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp. Our objective was to determine prejudicial effects of various species within the Bacillus genus (<i>Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus thuringiensis</i>, and <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>) on Group B Strep, MRSA, and <i>Lactobacillus</i>. By developing these high-throughput methods, we will facilitate the screening of bacteriocin activity from different clinical and environmental samples against the World Health Organization’s Top Priority Pathogen List.