Method | Integron gene cassette arrays

Mission

• Get the complete sequences of class 1 integron gene cassette arrays from a given microbial community (e.g. in a sewage)

• Identify individual gene cassette (the ORFs) and attC sites on these sequences

• Annotate the potential functions of the identified ORFs, with a strong focus on antimicrobial resistance and virulence functions

• Get a sense on how diverse the cassettes and the cassette arrays are in the analyzed microbiome samples

• Get a sense on how rapidly the integron structures turn over in the studied ecosystem - relative to time? to the changes in stimulation or stress? to geographic scale?

• (Pessimistic but) Associate the gene cassettes with the organisms of origin

Background/Context