Cellular Persistence and Stability (CEPAS)

Under conditions of environmental stress many non-spore-forming bacteria are able to enter an alternative metabolic state in which the cells are viable but are not cultivable on artificial media under laboratory conditions. The cells in that viable-but-not-culturable (VBNC) state may remain infectious and can reactivate upon exposure to a suitable host. Culturing microorganisms remains a critical step in the rapid identification of intentionally released biological agents. If an infectious agent were manipulated into a VBNC state prior to release the early identification of the organism would be frustrated by the inability to isolate it from the environment. Rapid identification is a critical measure for reducing the spread of infection and reducing the morbidity and mortality rates from the agent. The critical first step for developing methods to manipulate organisms in the VBNC state is to understand the regulation of the process. The proposed research will utilize a novel genetic screen in Vibrio vulnificus that will specifically target the key regulatory genes that control entry into and exit from the VBNC state. That information will be used in Phase II as a roadmap to discover methods and reagents to manipulate organisms in the VBNC state.