Molecular investigation of the antibiotic resistance and virulence mechanisms of the clinically important Bacteroides and Clostridioides difficile species
Thesis supervisor: József Sóki
Location of studies (in Hungarian): Institute of Clinical Microbiology Faculty of Medicine Universitat of Szeged Abbreviation of location of studies: KMDI
Description of the research topic:
The human microbiome contains anaerobic bacteria that may be in close physiological interaction and thus very useful for the body but they can be opportunistic pathogens as well. Among them the most important ones are the Bacteroides species and their relatives as the Parabacteroides, Prevotella and Porphyromonas genera and Clostridioides difficile which is an important nosocomial enteric pathogen. Therefore knowlegde about their virulence and antibiotic resistance mechanisms is crucial for their right therapy. Bacteroides can be regarded the most resistant anaerobic bacteria counting their number of resistance mechanisms and resistance rates. The most useful antibiotics against them are carbapenems, 5-nitroimidazoles, β-lactam/ β-lactamase combinations and tigecycline. We aim to investigate these antibiotic resistance mechanisms by examining the effector genes, gene expression mechanims and horizontal gene transfer. The carbapenem resistance cfiA gene can be activated by insertion sequence elements but the examination of its addiction system is also important and is a new direction today. For C. difficile metronidazole, glycopeptides, fidaxomycin and tigecycline can be used as an effective therapy and its metronidazole resistance mechanisms may be similar to the ones of Bacteroides too. As virulence mechanisms, we also aim to investigate the capsular polysaccharides, toxins and lysozyme resistance of Bacteroides and the toxins of C. difficile. During these we are using classical and modern microbiological and molecular biological methods too, including various forms of the omics techniques.
Required language skills: english Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2021-12-31
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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