Publication Date

6-15-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology (MS)

Committee Member

McReynolds, Neil C.

Committee Member

Combrink, Keith D.

Committee Member

Schmidl, Sebastian

Abstract

The human gut microbiome has recently gained more attention due to its possible links to metabolic disorders such as obesity, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and stress-related disorders such as depression and anxiety. In addition, the gut microbiome is often a cause of nosocomial infections due to the fact that they can be opportunistic pathogens. Therefore, many studies are now focusing on the bacteria that belong to the human gut microbiota. One such bacterium is named Morganella morganii. M. morganii is a gram-negative rod shaped bacterium that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is a highly adaptive species of bacteria that has clinically been shown to cause infections ranging from septic arthritis to brain abscesses to the most common type being urinary tract infections. However, most studies focus on the clinical aspect of this organism. Therefore, although we have a broad picture at the types of infections that this organism causes, we do not know how it is able to become pathogenic. In order to begin understanding M. morganii’s pathogenicity, it is vital that we begin to study this organism at the molecular level. Therefore, this study will focus on creating a basic metabolic and drug resistance profile for an organism that is relatively unknown at the molecular level.

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