Discovery, isolation, and characterization of bioactive metabolites
Currently, 700,000 deaths/year are caused by infections of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. The World Health Organization estimates that in the next 25 years 10 million lives per year are at risk due to antimicrobial resistance. To cope with this global threat, this line of research investigates the development of new molecules with antibiotic activity against pathogens indicated in the global priority list by WHO as Priority 1 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa carbapenem-resistant and Enterobacteriaceae carbapenem-resistant/cephalosporin-resistant) and Priority 2 (MRSA Staphylococcus aureus).
To achieve this goal, three complementary approaches are used:
1) Screening the Unicam Culture Collection of Microorganisms (CCM), composed by 2.000 microorganisms isolated from different environmental settings, for its ability to produce novel compounds with antibiotic properties;
2) In silico virtual screening of compound libraries to identify new putative antibiotics;
3) Exploring the almost unlimited genetic resources available in the database for the identification of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) involved in antibiotic synthesis.
To validate the biological activity of the most promising molecules obtained through these approaches, we will make use of in-house developed high sensitivity assays, with the aim to confirm their in vitro efficacy and to identify the molecular target of the purified compounds.
Keywords - ENGLISH
drug discovery, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotics, culture collection of microorganisms
Active participants in the research line (PI last author or *)
Roberto Spurio; Anna Maria Giuliodori; Attilio Fabbretti
External Collaborations
Dezemona Petrelli (School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, UNICAM, Camerino, Italy); Valerio Napolioni (School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, UNICAM, Camerino, Italy); Pohl Milón (Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Perù); Daniel Wilson (University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany)
Pillar
Human Health
Macroareas in Human Health
Analytical characterization and functionality of biological molecules
Relevant research grants (national/international) funding specifically this Research Line
MSCA-RISE Bio-TUNE (N. 872869)
Email Address
attilio.fabbretti@unicam.it
Link to Relevant Publications