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In this field of research, we are developing the following studies:
- Eco-epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance
Worldwide human medicine has been challenged by the reduction of therapeutic alternatives to treat infections associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) microorganisms. Research in this area aims to understand the flux of microorganisms and genes between different ecological niches submitted to different antimicrobial selective pressures and its influence to the molecular shaping of bacterial genomes. Moreover, putative virulence features that might confer a selective advantage to the harboring clones are also evaluated. The research team has been contributing to the understanding of this thematic by developing studies in different bacteria (Salmonella spp and other Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter spp., Enterococcus spp. and Listeria spp.) obtained from several sources (hospital, food products, healthy human, animal and aquatic environment).
The research team has a relevant expertise in methods for evaluating antimicrobial susceptibility and experience in different molecular typing methodologies and other molecular microbiology tools such as conventional and real-time PCR, plasmid analysis, southern blot and cloning, and is participating in collaborative projects with complementary fields (chemistry and chemometry) to apply high-throughput methods (e.g. FT-IR, microarrays) to the characterization of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Relevant publications:
Leakage of emerging clinically relevant multidrug-resistant Salmonella clones from pig farms.
Antunes P, Mourão J, Pestana N, Peixe L.
J Antimicrob Chemother. Jun 22. 2011
Non-susceptibility to tigecycline in enterococci from hospitalized patients, food products and community sources.
Freitas AR., Novais C., Correia R., Monteiro M., Coque TM, Peixe L.
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 38(2):174-6. 2011
First description of qnrS1-IncN plasmid in a ST11 Salmonella Enteritidis clinical isolate from Portugal.
Antunes P, Mourão J, Machado J, Peixe L.
Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. Apr;69(4):463-5. 2011
Understanding the dynamics of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii lineages within Portugal.
Grosso F, Quinteira S, Peixe L.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2011 Jan 24. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03469.x.
Human and Swine Hosts Share Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium CC17, CC5, and Enterococcus faecalis CC2 Clonal Clusters Harboring Tn1546 on indistinguishable plasmids.
Freitas AR, Coque TM, Novais C, Hammerum AM, Lester CH, Zervos MJ, Donabedian S, Jensen LB, Francia MV, Baquero F, Peixe L.
J Clin Microbiol. Mar;49(3):925-31. 2011
Projects:
Is aquaculture raising more than fish? Detecting antimicrobial resistance in an understudied ecological niche
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - PTDC/AAC-AMB/103386/2008
Principal investigator: Luísa Peixe
Characterization of widespread uropathogenic multidrug resistant Escherichia coli clones by using a combined approach of conventional genotypic methods and high-throughput technology.
European Union. Seventh Framework Programme on Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (2007-2013). IEF Marie Curie Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF call, Ref: 255512).
Supervisor: Luísa Peixe
Are ready-to-eat salads an important vehicle of pathogenic and comensal bactéria resistant to antibiotics?
Role in the project: Colaborator
Projectos Pluridisciplinares Iniciação à Investigação Universidade do Porto (IJUP)/Santander Totta
Molecular and phenotypic characteristics of the emerging Salmonella enteric serotype 4,5,12:i- (monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium) from Portugal
Role in the project: Colaborator
Projectos Pluridisciplinares Iniciação à Investigação Universidade do Porto (IJUP)/Santander Totta
Bacterial resistance to copper and antibiotics: two sides of the same problem in the animal production setting?
Role in the project: Colaborator
Projectos Pluridisciplinares Iniciação à Investigação Universidade do Porto (IJUP)/Santander Totta
Tracking antibiotic resistance along Silk Road
Role in the project: Colaborator
Entidade Financiadora: Projectos Pluridisciplinares Iniciação à Investigação Universidade do Porto (IJUP)/Santander Totta
Indicators of swine industry pollution: antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - POCI/AMB/61814/2004
Principal investigator: Luísa Peixe
Population Structure of Salmonella nontyphoidal causing human infections by multilocus sequence typing
Role in the project: Coordinator
Entidade Financiadora: Projectos Pluridisciplinares Iniciação à Investigação Universidade do Porto (IJUP)/Santander Totta
Study of the factors implicated in the stability and dissemination of multi-resistant Enterococcus spp in different metagenomes
Fundação para a Ciência e tecnologia- POCI/SAU-ESP/61385/2004
Principal investigator: Luísa Peixe
Food safety and public health: defenition of E. coli (VTEC), Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp risks.
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal.
Co-supervisor
Biological indicators of contamination by hospital wastewaters
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal- POCTI/ESP/39885/2001
Principal investigator: Helena Neto; Team member: Luísa Peixe
- Characterization of bioactive compounds produced by microorganisms
Microorganisms including symbionts isolated from terrestrial and marine invertebrated are being tested for bioactive compounds production.
Relevant publications:
Cnidarians as a source of new marine drugs - most promising compounds in the 21st century and future steps for bioprospecting
Rocha J., Peixe L., Gomes N., Calado R.
WCMB. 2011
Unraveling Cyanobacteria Ecology in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP).
Martins J, Peixe L, Vasconcelos VM.
Microb Ecol. Feb 2. 2011
Cyanobacteria and bacteria co-occurrence in a wastewater treatment plant: absence of allelopathic effects.
Martins J, Peixe L, Vasconcelos V.
Water Sci Technol.62(8):1954-62. 2010
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