The Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacterales are highly efficient in acquiring antimicrobial resistance encoded by genomic changes ranging in scale from point mutations, through the assembly of preexisting genetic elements, to the horizontal import of genes from the environment.
Compounding the problem of antimicrobial resistance is the immediate threat of a reduction in the discovery and development of new antibiotics, the dangers of which have recently been made clear by the World Health Organization and other European institutions. Consequently, a perfect storm is converging with regard to these infections: increasing antimicrobial resistance with a decreased new drug development. This context is likely the best example of the purported “Post-Antibiotic Era,” with relevance even in nonspecialized media. It is clear that effective solutions are urgently needed as stressed by various institutions. Therefore, the development of new antimicrobial strategies requires immediate attention to avoid the ten million deaths that are projected to occur in 2050 as a result of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. In this context, the development of new antimicrobial therapeutic strategies for use alone or together with one of the scarce but clinically relevant antibiotics, has become exigent.
Our research projects are focused to:
- Identify new therapeutic targets in the outer membrane of the bacteria associated with healthcare-related infections, through the study of host-pathogen interactions in vitro and in animal models.
- To decipher new antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
This will open new perspectives of particular relevance for the development of current and new antimicrobial strategies.
For more details about our research, visit our website (
smaniyouneslab.jimdosite.com).
If you are interested to join our lab, please contact Younes Smani:
ysmabgqdk@dqdwpupo.es
