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Updated: Oct 10, 2025
Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants
Published on: May 4, 2018
A panel of diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates for research and development
Francois Lebreton1, Erik Snesrud1, Lindsey Hall1
1Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Objectives:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of community- and hospital-acquired infections. Successful treatment is hampered by its remarkable ability to rapidly develop resistance to antimicrobial agents, primarily through mutation. In response, WHO listed carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa as a Priority 1 (Critical) pathogen for research and development of new treatments. A key resource in developing effective countermeasures is access to diverse and clinically relevant strains for testing. Herein we describe a panel of 100 diverse P. aeruginosa strains to support this endeavour.
Methods:
WGS was performed on 3785 P. aeruginosa isolates in our repository. Isolates were cultured from clinical samples collected from healthcare facilities around the world between 2003 and 2017. Core-genome MLST and high-resolution SNP-based phylogenetic analyses were used to select a panel of 100 strains that captured the genetic diversity of this collection. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was also performed using 14 clinically relevant antibiotics.
Results:
This 100-strain diversity panel contained representative strains from 91 different STs, including genetically distinct strains from major epidemic clones ST-111, ST-235, ST-244 and ST-253. Seventy-one distinct antibiotic susceptibility profiles were identified ranging from pan-susceptible to pan-resistant. Known resistance alleles as well as the most prevalent mutations underlying the antibiotic susceptibilities were characterized for all isolates.
Conclusions:
This panel provides a diverse and comprehensive set of P. aeruginosa strains for use in developing solutions to antibiotic resistance. The isolates and available metadata, including genome sequences, are available to industry, academia, federal and other laboratories at no additional cost.
Insights
A new panel of 100 diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains aids antibiotic resistance research. This resource includes genetic data and antibiotic susceptibility profiles for critical pathogen development.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
- Genomics and Bioinformatics
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research
Background:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a critical pathogen causing significant community and hospital-acquired infections.
- Rapid development of antimicrobial resistance in P. aeruginosa, primarily via mutation, severely limits treatment efficacy.
- The World Health Organization designates carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa as a Priority 1 (Critical) pathogen, necessitating new therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and describe a diverse panel of 100 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains for research and development of new antimicrobial treatments.
- To provide a comprehensive resource for studying the genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance mechanisms of P. aeruginosa.
- To support the development of effective countermeasures against this critical pathogen.
Main Methods:
- Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) was performed on 3785 P. aeruginosa isolates collected globally between 2003 and 2017.
- Core-genome Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and high-resolution Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-based phylogenetic analyses were employed to select a genetically diverse panel of 100 strains.
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted using 14 clinically relevant antibiotics for all selected isolates.
Main Results:
- The 100-strain diversity panel represents 91 distinct Sequence Types (STs), including key epidemic clones like ST-111, ST-235, ST-244, and ST-253.
- A wide spectrum of antibiotic susceptibility was observed, with 71 unique profiles ranging from pan-susceptible to pan-resistant.
- Known resistance alleles and prevalent mutations associated with antibiotic resistance profiles were characterized for all strains in the panel.
Conclusions:
- The developed Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain panel offers a diverse and comprehensive resource for advancing research into antibiotic resistance solutions.
- The characterized isolates, along with their associated metadata and genome sequences, are made freely available to the scientific community.
- This resource facilitates collaborative efforts in academia, industry, and government laboratories to combat antimicrobial resistance.
