Patent ID: 8173363

Claim:
A method for identifying a library of putative essential or important genes using a High Throughput Transposon Insertion Map (HTTIM) database, comprising: a) mutagenizing a Staphylococcus genome with a transposon such that individual cells, each containing one or more transposon insertion sites that received a transposon insertion, are isolated; b) sequencing said one or more transposon insertion sites in each individual cell so as to form a database of polynucleotide sequences of transposon insertion sites, or an HTTIM database, wherein said sequencing comprises amplification of a polynucleotide fragment containing one of said transposon insertion sites and the inserted transposon; c) comparing said polynucleotide sequences of the transposon insertion sites with the Staphylococcus genomic sequence to identify open reading frames in said Staphylococcus genomic sequence that are not disrupted by a transposon insertion; and d) forming a library of putative essential or important genes from said open reading frames in said Staphylococcus genomic sequence that are not disrupted by a transposon insertion.