COMPARATIVE GENOMICS OF THE FOOD-BORNE PATHOGEN CAMPY JEJUNI FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF GENETIC MARKERS SPECIFIC TO ISOLATES CAUSING DISEASES

1: Determine variability in gene content, using suppressive subtractive hybridization analyses, between DNA from Campylobacter jejuni recovered from chicken flocks and humans, versus those recovered from chickens only. 2: Determine, using DNA hybridization analyses, the distribution of DNA sequences identified as variable in subtraction hybridization experiments. 3: Inactivate identified genes using insertional mutagenesis/homologous recombination techniques. 4: Perform cell invasion assays for mutant and wild type isolates to determine the contribution of different genes for virulence in C. jejuni.