A Novel Genome-Wide Evaluation of Mutants in Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium: Application to Drug and Vaccine Development

<OL> <LI> To generate mutant libraries using two novel genome- wide technologies (TMDH and ODM) developed by Arrow Therapeutics. <LI> To identify genes important for bacterial survival, and thereby possible candidates for anti-microbial drug discovery. Attenuated mutants will be evaluated as candidate lives vaccines. The use of S. typhimurium allows the evaluation of survival of mutants in a real infection in an animal host, and thus defines unequivocally the minimum gene set required for virulence and persistence during infection. <LI> To select genes identified by TMDH and ODM for recombinant expression and characterisation. This approach utilises a set of proprietary bioinformatics tools along with protein purification, crystallisation methodologies, and structural determination to evaluate rapidly proteins for the drug discovery process.