Metagenomics

Characterization of Natural Bacterial Pathogens with Genomic and Predictive Modelling

Dr. Danesh Moradigaravand, Infectious Disease Epidemiology lab, BESE, KAUST

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B3 L5 R5209

In this talk, I will first present how the application of phylogenetic and phylodynamic methods to whole genome sequencing data of multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens provided an in-depth understanding of the epidemiology and evolution of these strains on epidemiological time scales. I will then discuss the characterization of the genomic repertoire of bacterial traits using a combination of machine learning, whole genome sequencing and large-scale phenotypic assays. I will then present the leverage of predictive modelling to predict bacterial features, e.g. antimicrobial resistance, growth, and horizontal gene transfer, from genomic biomarkers. I will finally discuss how large-scale phenotypic assays enabled us to identity genes underlying morphogenesis and biofilm formation.

Olga Chechekina

Visiting Student, Bio-Ontology Research Group
Olga Chechekina is a visiting student in the Bio-Ontology Research Group under the supervision of Prof. Robert Hoehndorf. Prior to visiting KAUST, she graduated from "Biology and Biotechnology" department at HSE University in 2023, and completed an internship at Genome Institute of Singapore in 2022. Here research interests are in metagenomics, molecular biology and data analysis.