IP Library Granted Patent US 8,658,416
Granted Patent B2
US 8,658,416 · App. 12/579,696 · Granted Feb 25, 2014

Toxin-eating bacteria and bioremediation

Inventors: George M. Church (Brookline, MA); Gautam Dantas (University City, MO); Morten O. Sommer (Boston, MA)
Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Patent No.
US 8,658,416
App. No.
12/579,696
Granted
Feb 25, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods are provided for reducing a level of one or more antibiotics from an antibiotic-contaminated substance. An organism that can utilize the one or more antibiotics as a carbon source is cultured in the presence of the antibiotic-contaminated substance for a sufficient amount of time to reduce the level of one or more antibiotics from the antibiotic-contaminated substance.

Claims (12)

1. A method of reducing a level of one or more antibiotics from an antibiotic-contaminated substance comprising culturing a bacterium that can utilize the one or more antibiotics as a carbon source in the presence of the antibiotic-contaminated substance for a sufficient amount of time to reduce the level of one or more antibiotics from the antibiotic-contaminated substance wherein the one or more antibiotics is a sulfonamide, quinolone, glycopeptide, amphenicol, or aminoglycoside.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibiotic-contaminated substance is selected from the group consisting of contaminated soil, contaminated water and a contaminated work surface.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the contaminated work surface is present in a hospital, a clinic or a laboratory.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more antibiotics are used by the bacterium as a sole carbon source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium has a 16S nucleic acid sequence comprising a GenBank Accession Number selected from the group consisting of EU515334, EU515335, EU515336, EU515337, EU515338, EU515339, EU515400, EU515401, EU515402, EU515403, EU515404, EU515405, EU515406, EU515407, EU515408, EU515409, EU515410, EU515411, EU515412, EU515413, EU515414, EU515415, EU515416, EU515417, EU515418, EU515419, EU515420, EU515421, EU515422, EU515423, EU515424, EU515425, EU515426, EU515427, EU515428, EU515429, EU515430, EU515431, EU515432, EU515433, EU515434, EU515435, EU515436, EU515437, EU515438, EU515439, EU515440, EU515441, EU515442, EU515443, EU515444, EU515445, EU515446, EU515447, EU515448, EU515449, EU515450, EU515451, EU515452, EU515453, EU515454, EU515455, EU515456, EU515457, EU515458, EU515459, EU515460, EU515461, EU515462, EU515463, EU515464, EU515465, EU515466, EU515467, EU515468, EU515469 EU515470, EU515471, EU515472, EU515473, EU515474, EU515475, EU515476, EU515477, EU515478, EU515479, EU515480, EU515481, EU515482, EU515483, EU515484, EU515485, EU515486, EU515487, EU515488, EU515489, EU515490, EU515491, EU515492, EU515493, EU515494, EU515495, EU515496, EU515497, EU515498, EU515499, EU515500, EU515501, EU515502, EU515503, EU515504, EU515505, EU515506, EU515507, EU515508, EU515509, EU515510, EU515511, EU515512, EU515513, EU515514, EU515515, EU515516, EU515517, EU515518, EU515519, EU515520, EU515521, EU515522, EU515523, EU515524, EU515525, EU515526, EU515527, EU515528, EU515529, EU515530, EU515531, EU515532, EU515533, EU515534, EU515535, EU515536, EU515537, EU515538, EU515539, EU515540, EU515541, EU515542, EU515543, EU515544, EU515545, EU515546, EU515547, EU515548, EU515549, EU515550, EU515551, EU515552, EU515553, EU515554, EU515555, EU515556, EU515557, EU515558, EU515559, EU515560, EU515561, EU515562, EU515563, EU515564, EU515565, EU515566, EU515567, EU515568, EU515569, EU515570, EU515571, EU515572, EU515573, EU515574, EU515575, EU515576, EU515577, EU515578, EU515579, EU515580, EU515581, EU515582, EU515583, EU515584, EU515585, EU515586, EU515587, EU515588, EU515589, EU515590, EU515591, EU515592, EU515593, EU515594, EU515595, EU515596, EU515597, EU515598, EU515599, EU515600, EU515601, EU515602, EU515603, EU515604, EU515605, EU515606, EU515607, EU515608, EU515609, EU515610, EU515611, EU515612, EU515613, EU515614, EU515615, EU515616, EU515617, EU515618, EU515619, EU515620, EU515621, EU515622 and EU515623.

6. A method of reducing a level of one or more antibiotic from an antibiotic-contaminted substance comprising culture a bacterium that can utilize the one or more antibiotics as a carbon source in the presence of the antibiotic-contaminated substance for a sufficient amount of time to reduce the level of one or more antibiotics from the antibiotic-contaminated substance, wherein the one or more antibiotics is chloramphenicol, vancomycin, carbenicillin, ciprofloxacin, mafenide, kanamycin, sisomicin, amikacin, trimethropin, D-cycloserine, gentamicin, dicloxacillin, nalidixic acid, thiamphenicol, levofloxacin, sulfemethizole or sulfisoxazole.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bacterium has a 16S nucleic acid sequence comprising a GenBank Accession Number selected from the group consisting of EU515334, EU515335, EU515336, EU515337, EU515338, EU515339, EU515400, EU515401, EU515402, EU515403, EU515404, EU515405, EU515406, EU515407, EU515408, EU515409, EU515410, EU515411, EU515412, EU515413, EU515414, EU515415, EU515416, EU515417, EU515418, EU515419, EU515420, EU515421, EU515422, EU515423, EU515424, EU515425, EU515426, EU515427, EU515428, EU515429, EU515430, EU515431, EU515432, EU515433, EU515434, EU515435, EU515436, EU515437, EU515438, EU515439, EU515440, EU515441, EU515442, EU515443, EU515444, EU515445, EU515446, EU515447, EU515448, EU515449, EU515450, EU515451, EU515452, EU515453, EU515454, EU515455, EU515456, EU515457, EU515458, EU515459, EU515460, EU515461, EU515462, EU515463, EU515464, EU515465, EU515466, EU515467, EU515468, EU515469 EU515470, EU515471, EU515472, EU515473, EU515474, EU515475, EU515476, EU515477, EU515478, EU515479, EU515480, EU515481, EU515482, EU515483, EU515484, EU515485, EU515486, EU515487, EU515488, EU515489, EU515490, EU515491, EU515492, EU515493, EU515494, EU515495, EU515496, EU515497, EU515498, EU515499, EU515500, EU515501, EU515502, EU515503, EU515504, EU515505, EU515506, EU515507, EU515508, EU515509, EU515510, EU515511, EU515512, EU515513, EU515514, EU515515, EU515516, EU515517, EU515518, EU515519, EU515520, EU515521, EU515522, EU515523, EU515524, EU515525, EU515526, EU515527, EU515528, EU515529, EU515530, EU515531, EU515532, EU515533, EU515534, EU515535, EU515536, EU515537, EU515538, EU515539, EU515540, EU515541, EU515542, EU515543, EU515544, EU515545, EU515546, EU515547, EU515548, EU515549, EU515550, EU515551, EU515552, EU515553, EU515554, EU515555, EU515556, EU515557, EU515558, EU515559, EU515560, EU515561, EU515562, EU515563, EU515564, EU515565, EU515566, EU515567, EU515568, EU515569, EU515570, EU515571, EU515572, EU515573, EU515574, EU515575, EU515576, EU515577, EU515578, EU515579, EU515580, EU515581, EU515582, EU515583, EU515584, EU515585, EU515586, EU515587, EU515588, EU515589, EU515590, EU515591, EU515592, EU515593, EU515594, EU515595, EU515596, EU515597, EU515598, EU515599, EU515600, EU515601, EU515602, EU515603, EU515604, EU515605, EU515606, EU515607, EU515608, EU515609, EU515610, EU515611, EU515612, EU515613, EU515614, EU515615, EU515616, EU515617, EU515618, EU515619, EU515620, EU515621, EU515622 and EU515623.

8. A method of eliminating one or more antibiotics from an antibiotic-contaminated substance, comprising culturing a bacterium in the presence of the antibiotic-contaminated substance for a sufficient amount of time to eliminate the one or more antibiotics from the antibiotic-contaminated substance wherein the one or more antibiotics is a sulfonamide, quinolone, glycopeptide, amphenicol, or aminoglycoside and wherein the bacterium has a 16S nucleic acid sequence comprising a GenBank Accession Number selected from the group consisting of EU515334, EU515335, EU515336, EU515337, EU515338, EU515339, EU515400, EU515401, EU515402, EU515403, EU515404, EU515405, EU515406, EU515407, EU515408, EU515409, EU515410, EU515411, EU515412, EU515413, EU515414, EU515415, EU515416, EU515417, EU515418, EU515419, EU515420, EU515421, EU515422, EU515423, EU515424, EU515425, EU515426, EU515427, EU515428, EU515429, EU515430, EU515431, EU515432, EU515433, EU515434, EU515435, EU515436, EU515437, EU515438, EU515439, EU515440, EU515441, EU515442, EU515443, EU515444, EU515445, EU515446, EU515447, EU515448, EU515449, EU515450, EU515451, EU515452, EU515453, EU515454, EU515455, EU515456, EU515457, EU515458, EU515459, EU515460, EU515461, EU515462, EU515463, EU515464, EU515465, EU515466, EU515467, EU515468, EU515469 EU515470, EU515471, EU515472, EU515473, EU515474, EU515475, EU515476, EU515477, EU515478, EU515479, EU515480, EU515481, EU515482, EU515483, EU515484, EU515485, EU515486, EU515487, EU515488, EU515489, EU515490, EU515491, EU515492, EU515493, EU515494, EU515495, EU515496, EU515497, EU515498, EU515499, EU515500, EU515501, EU515502, EU515503, EU515504, EU515505, EU515506, EU515507, EU515508, EU515509, EU515510, EU515511, EU515512, EU515513, EU515514, EU515515, EU515516, EU515517, EU515518, EU515519, EU515520, EU515521, EU515522, EU515523, EU515524, EU515525, EU515526, EU515527, EU515528, EU515529, EU515530, EU515531, EU515532, EU515533, EU515534, EU515535, EU515536, EU515537, EU515538, EU515539, EU515540, EU515541, EU515542, EU515543, EU515544, EU515545, EU515546, EU515547, EU515548, EU515549, EU515550, EU515551, EU515552, EU515553, EU515554, EU515555, EU515556, EU515557, EU515558, EU515559, EU515560, EU515561, EU515562, EU515563, EU515564, EU515565, EU515566, EU515567, EU515568, EU515569, EU515570, EU515571, EU515572, EU515573, EU515574, EU515575, EU515576, EU515577, EU515578, EU515579, EU515580, EU515581, EU515582, EU515583, EU515584, EU515585, EU515586, EU515587, EU515588, EU515589, EU515590, EU515591, EU515592, EU515593, EU515594, EU515595, EU515596, EU515597, EU515598, EU515599, EU515600, EU515601, EU515602, EU515603, EU515604, EU515605, EU515606, EU515607, EU515608, EU515609, EU515610, EU515611, EU515612, EU515613, EU515614, EU515615, EU515616, EU515617, EU515618, EU515619, EU515620, EU515621, EU515622 and EU515623.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more antibiotics are used by the bacterium as a sole carbon source.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the antibiotic-contaminated substance is selected from the group consisting of contaminated soil, contaminated water and a contaminated work surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the contaminated work surface is present in a hospital, a clinic or a laboratory.

12. A method of eliminating one or more antibiotics from an antibiotic-contaminated substance, comprising culturing a bacterium in the presence of the antibiotic-contaminated substance for a sufficient amount of time to eliminate the one or more antibiotics from the antibiotic-contaminated substance wherein the one or more antibiotics are selected from the group consisting of chloramphenicol, vancomycin, carbenicillin, ciprofloxacin, mafenide, kanamycin, sisomicin, amikacin, trimethropin, D-cycloserine, gentamicin, dicloxacillin, nalidixic acid, thiamphenicol, levofloxacin, sulfamethizole and sulfisoxazole.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Nov 22, 2019
From: HARVARD UNIVERSITY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 051097/0403 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2009
From: CHURCH, GEORGE M.; DANTAS, GAUTAM; SOMMER, MORTEN O.A.
To: PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
Reel/Frame 023462/0303 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61105614 · Oct 15, 2008
Related Publication 20100159565A1 · Jun 24, 2010