The Potential of CCA-associated Bacteria to Fight Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens: a Genomic Survey

ABSTRACT The global rise of antimicrobial resistance has intensified efforts in bioprospecting, with researchers increasingly exploring unique marine environments for novel antimicrobials. In line with this trend, our study focused on bacteria isolated from the unique microbiome of crustose coralline algae (CCA), which has yet to be investigated for antimicrobial discovery. In the present work, bacteria were isolated from the CCA Hydrolithon boergesenii . After running antimicrobial assays against antibiotic-resistant human and marine pathogens, three isolates were selected for genome sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore technology. Genome mining of the high-quality assemblies revealed 100 putative Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) across the three genomes. Further analysis uncovered BGCs potentially involved in the biosynthesis of novel antimicrobial compounds. Our study provides valuable resources for future research aimed at the discovery of novel antimicrobials, particularly in the face of the antibiotic-resistance global crisis and highlights the potential of specialized marine environments like CCA biofilms.