Stress and Bacterial Evolution

Tuberculosis is the most deadly infectious disease caused by a single microorganism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Despite the efforts to eradicate this disease, a high number of multi-drug resistant strains are emerging. This is mainly due to both, the capacity to modify its own genome (acquiring mutations that confer antibiotic resistance) and the ability to enter in a dormant state (not affected by antibiotics).

We are developing biotechnological and biomedical applications based on DNA repair mechanisms and the regulation of cell division in actinobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, studying their effects on bacterial evolution and adaptation to antibiotic stress. We also modify other actinobacteria, such as Streptomyces, to regulate the genetic variability to optimize metabolite production.

Some articles from the group: Oliver et al. Science 288: 1251-1253. 2000; Camas, et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA.103:12718–1. 2006; Guelfo et al. PLoS Genetics 6(5): e1000931. 2010; Couce et al. PLoS Genetics. 9 (1): e1003167. 2013; Rodríguez-Beltrán et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 32(7):1708-16. 2015; Gola et al. Mol. Microbiol. 97: 560-576. 2015; Castañeda-García et al. Nat. Comm. doi:10.1038/ncomms14246. 2017.