Building next-generation sequencing (NGS) capacity for One Health and antimicrobial stewardship projects An on-going case study of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in zoo mammals

SUMMARYThe overall goal of this project is to build next-generation sequencing (NGS) capacitythat will support One Health and antimicrobial stewardship. Currently the NDSU VDL alongwith multiple partners representing North Dakota zoos human health lab CDC FDA Vet-LIRNNVSL and USDA are investigating a multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella serovar Newport inzoo mammals that clusters with a known human pathogenic strain REPJJP01 making it a OneHealth issue. Implementation of the MIRO CANVAS would allow the NDSU VDL to more rapidlyand cost effectively prepare NGS libraries for sequencing rather than waiting to batch samples.Additionally the MIRO CANVAS coupled with a laptop small sequencer portable power supplypipettes minimal supplies and small cooler bag could provide a SLAB or Sequencing Lab-in-A-Bag that could be extremely versatile and deployable in the field or point-of-care site. Azoological facility has agreed to help in the proof-of-concept of the SLAB. This equipmentproposal has two specific aims. 1) Purchase and implement a MIRO CANVAS digitalmicrofluidics platform for walk-away next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation tosequence bacterial and viral pathogens especially Salmonella isolates. 2) Prepare a portablesequencing lab-in-a-bag or SLAB that can be deployed to the field or point-of-care site todetect and identify potential pathogens relatively rapidly and on-site.