Bacterial antibiotic resistance and pathogenesis

Bacterial antibiotic resistance and pathogenesis

Sukurta: 20 December 2018
Keywords: gram-negative bacteria, antibiotic resistance, toxin-anti toxin systems, pathogenesis

The group focuses on understanding of molecular basis underlying the antibiotic resistance in clinic and in the environment with the emphasis on novel resistance mechanisms, on pathogenesis of opportunistic gram-negative pathogens and on bacterial toxin-anti toxin systems. 

 

Research group activities

Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial drugs is one of the most serious obstacles in the treatment of infectious diseases worldwide. Infections caused by gram-negative bacteria that developed ability to resist most of the available antibacterial drugs, have continued to be a major problem for hospitalized patients. We focus our research towards understanding of molecular basis underlying the antibiotic resistance in clinic and in the environment with the emphasis on novel resistance mechanisms, on pathogenesis of opportunistic gram-negative pathogens and on bacterial toxin-anti toxin systems. We also develop molecular techniques for detection of pathogenic bacteria.

 

Proposal

  • We offer molecular, biochemical and genetic analysis of anti biotic resistant bacteria;
  • We offer identification, structural and functional characterisation of bacterial toxin-anti toxin systems;
  • We offer molecular and genetic engineering tools for investigation of specific gram negative bacterial pathogens.
  • We are open for collaborative projects in the fields related to antibiotic resistance, bacterial pathogenesis and prokaryotic toxin-anti toxin systems.
  • We are looking for partners for developing competitive research projects targeting HORIZON 2020 and other international programs.

 

Meet our team

Our team includes highly experienced researchers who have scientific background in biochemistry, molecular microbiology, genetic ingeneering and enzymology.

Lead researcher

Prof. dr. Edita Sužiedėlienė

Research Group

Dr. Julij a Armalytė

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arvydas Markuckas

Dr. Danute Labeikytė

PhD students: Jūratė Skerniškytė, Renatas

Krasauskas, Dukas Jurėnas

Research outcomes

  • Skerniškytė, J.; Armalytė, J.; Kvietkauskaitė, R., Šeputi enė V., Povilonis J., Sužiedėlienė E. (2016). Detection of Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocoliti ca, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter spp. by real-time multiplex PCR using amplicon DNA melting analysis and probe-based assay. Int J Food Sci Tech. 51: 519-9.
  • Krasauskas R., Labeikytė D., Markuckas A., Povilonis J., Armalytė J., Plančiūnienė R., Kavaliauskas P., Sužiedėlienė E. (2015). Purification and characterization of a new β-lactamase

OXA-205 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob. 14:52.

  • Povilonis J., Šeputi enė V., Krasauskas R., Juškaitė R., Miškinytė M., Sužiedėlienė E. (2013). Spread of carbapenem- resistant Acinetobacter baumannii carrying a plasmid with two genes encoding OXA-72 carbapenemase in Lithuanian hospitals. J Anti microb Chemother. 68:1000-6.
  • Jurėnaitė M., Markuckas A., Sužiedėlienė E. (2013). Identification and characterization of type II toxin-anti toxin systems in the opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. J Bacteriol. 195:3165-72.
  • Armalytė J, Jurenaitė M, Beinoravičiūtė G, Teišerskas J, Sužiedėlienė E. (2012). Characterization of Escherichia colidinJ-yafQ toxin-antitoxin system using insights from mutagenesis data. J Bacteriol. 194: 1523-32.

 

Resources

Our laboratory is equipped with the systems for genotyping by pulse field electrophoresis (Biorad) and analysis soft ware (Bionumerics), automated systems for DNA isolation, liquid handling robotic platform (Tecan), real-ti me (Eppendorf, Biorad) and liquid chromatography systems (Äkta, GE Healthcare). We possess a large collection of characterised antibiotic resistant bacteria of clinical and environmental origin.

 

Contacts

Dr. Edita Sužiedėlienė

Life Sciences Center

Insitute of Biosciences

Phone: +37052398226

E-mail:

More about VU Life Science Center: http://www.gmc.vu.lt/en

 

Department for Research

and Innovation

Phone: +370 5 268 7006

E-mail:

More information: https://www.vu.lt/verslui/

 

Flyer for printing: Bacterial_antibiotic_resistance_and_pathogenesis.pdf