Anaerobes for research
Anaerobes are often perceived as less important in clinical microbiology compared to their aerobic counterparts. The complexities of infections caused by anaerobes are still not fully understood and the identification and reporting of anaerobes in the clinical setting is often limited. Anaerobes are primarily reported as ‘mixed anaerobes, sensitive to metronidazole’.
Nevertheless, with increased interest and research in the microbiome, particularly into gut flora, where anaerobes are the predominant bacterial species, a deeper understanding of the breadth and role of anaerobes in infection will be achieved.
To facilitate this growing research, NCTC currently hold around 300 historical authenticated anaerobic strains, 57 of which are type strains, from over 100 species which equates to around 10% of the NCTC collection.
Related Links
NCTC Clostridium difficile strains
References
Brown CT, Davis-Richardson AG, Giongo A, Gano KA, Crabb DB, Mukherjee N, et al. Gut microbiome metagenomics analysis suggests a functional model for the development of autoimmunity for type 1 diabetes. PloS one. 2011;6(10):e25792. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025792
Kinross JM, Darzi AW, Nicholson JK. Gut microbiome-host interactions in health and disease. Genome Medicine. 2011;3(3):14. https://doi.org/10.1186/gm228