The genus Leptospira comprises a highly diverse group of bacteria, including pathogenic, intermediate, and saprophytic species occupying a wide range of environmental and host-associated niches. Recent environmental investigations have revealed an unexpectedly large diversity of Leptospira species in soil and water ecosystems, many of which remain poorly characterized at the genomic level.
In this project, we aim to perform whole-genome sequencing of a Leptospira isolate recovered from an environmental source. The resulting genome sequence will be assembled, annotated, and compared with publicly available genomes representative of the diversity of the Leptospira genus. Comparative genomic analyses will be conducted to determine the phylogenetic position of the isolate, identify genomic features associated with environmental adaptation, and assess its relatedness to known pathogenic, intermediate, and saprophytic species.
