Methods to Isolate Possible Bacteriophage for Micrococcus luteus and Acinetobacter baumannii

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria has led to a crisis in treatment options. Acinetobacter baumannii is an example of a bacterium that has developed a dangerous level of multidrug resistance. Not only does it have genes allowing for the resistance to antibiotics, but it also produces a biofilm that protects it. In recent years, A. baumannii has become a major contributor to nosocomial infections making it critical to develop new treatment methods. Micrococcus luteus, while typically not thought of as a pathogen, is also developing a resistance to antibiotics. M. luteus is capable of forming a biofilm on its own making it worrisome as it has increasingly been noted as an opportunistic pathogen. One potential new treatment of antibiotic resistance is the development of bacteriophage therapy, using bacterial viruses to target the infection and treat it. This study examines methods for isolating novel bacteriophage from dairy cattle feces, specifically for the biofilm producers A. baumannii and M. luteus.