Bioluminescent labelling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

We have previously found a drug that interferes with how bacteria attach and infect human cells. We wish to test this in against a range of important pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause pneumonia in cystic fibrosis patients and is a common cause of infection of burn injuries. The target of this drug is used to inject toxins into human cells. We would like to test this drug in small animal models that are infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to see if it has protective properties. In order to do this, we first need to make the bacteria more readily visible, so they can be tracked during an infection. We intend to do this by inserting genes that produce luminescence into the DNA of P. aeruginosa. The luminescence genes produce “light” making it possible to detect the bacterium inside a living host. We will then check that the labelled P. aeruginosa grows as effectively as the non-luminescent bacteria and test the light producing strain in a waxworm model.