PROBIOTIC NISSLE E. COLI 1917 AS ANTIBIOTIC-ALTERNATIVE TO COMBAT ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT CAMPYLOBACTER IN THE FOOD CHAIN

The long-term goal is to improve food safety by decreasing the spread of Campylobacter to humans and preventing the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter associated with poultry production via the food chain by developing novel antibiotic alternatives. The specific objectives are:Objective 1:Identify and characterize the bioactive molecule(s) that contribute to the antimicrobial effect of EcN. This will be achieved via 1) identification of the bioactive molecule(s) (bioactive peptides peptide and/or small molecule (SM) metabolite), and 2) purification and characterization ofthe novel bioactive molecule(s).Objective 2: Evaluate the efficacy of the extracted bioactive molecule(s) in vitro and in chicken enteroids. This will be achieved via 1) assessing the efficacy of the purified bioactive molecule(s) in vitro against antibiotic-resistant C. jejuni, gut beneficial bacteria, biofilm-protected C. jejuni and motility, the expression of virulence-associated genes ofC. jejuni, and 2) evaluating the efficacy of the purified bioactive molecule(s) in chicken enteroids.