Selectomics to monitor and predict the emergence of resistance to new therapeutic approaches

Multiple antibiotic resistances have increased over the past decades, challenging our ability to treat bacterial infections and thwarting our ability to develop new antimicrobial agents. Many resistance genes have not evolved within the pathogenic isolates but were acquired by lateral transfer. We recently showed that genes conferring glycopeptide resistance are highly prevalent in the human flora. Some of these genes are present in novel commensal anaerobic species of the gut suggesting that these bacteria may serve as a reservoir for resistance genes. We will use the human gut microbiome to monitor the emergence of resistance genes that could have the potential to be transferred to pathogens and address the question of how these reservoirs of resistance detenninants respond to antibiotic pressure. The selectomics strategy generated by this project will constitute useful tools to assess the potency of novel chemical compounds to select for resistance.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Ann Huletsky et al.

Student:

Multiple

Partner:

GenePOC

Discipline:

Biochemistry / Molecular biology

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Université Laval