Novel Epigenetic Technique Opens Door to Combatting Virulent Strains of Bacteria

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai say they have developed a novel method to more precisely analyze bacterial populations and reveal epigenetic mechanisms that can drive virulence. The new technique holds the promise of a potent new tool to offset the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance by bacterial pathogens, according to the team. “We created a technique for the detection and phasing of DNA methylation at the single molecule level. We found that a typical clonal bacterial population that would otherwise be considered homogeneous using conventional techniques has epigenetically distinct subpopulations with different gene expression patterns" said Gang Fang, PhD, Assistant Professor of genetics and genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine and senior author of the study. “The application of this new technique will enable a more comprehensive characterization of the functions of DNA methylation and their impact on bacterial physiology," said Eric Schadt, PhD, Founding Director of the Icahn Institute and Professor of Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine.

-Eric Schadt, PhD, Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics, Chair, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology
-Gang Fang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

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