IMSE Webinar Series
Challenges in Antimicrobial Resistance
The challenge that will be discussed in this session is:
Using Artificial Gut Systems to Study How Our Gut Microbiota Protects us from Infections
Join us for this informal webinar with Dr Julie McDonald. There will be an opportunity for question and answer after the presentation. To join this webinar you must register in advance and you will be emailed the joining instructions for the webinar.
Biography
Dr Julie McDonald
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences , Lecturer (MRC-CMBI)
Dr McDonald’s current work in her laboratory is focusing on investigating novel methods to re-establish microbiota-mediated colonisation resistance in patients colonised with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to human health, resulting in treatment failures, infection relapses, longer hospitalisations, and poor clinical outcomes. The intestine is the primary colonisation site for MDROs and serves as a reservoir for MDROs that are responsible for invasive infections (e.g. sepsis and recurrent urinary tract infections). Studies have demonstrated intestinal decolonisation of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae following FMT. However, the mechanism of FMT is unknown, and there are several drawbacks to administering FMT to MDRO colonised patients. The goal of our research is to determine the mechanism(s) by which FMT decolonises MDROs from the intestine, with the aim to develop a new method for MDRO intestinal decolonisation.
Their lab uses a variety of complementary approaches to study gut colonisation resistance, including artificial gut models (aka “chemostat” or “Robogut” models), batch culture experiments, patient faecal samples, and mouse intervention experiments. Samples are analysed using both culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques, including a variety of “omic” techniques (e.g. 16S rRNA gene sequencing, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, and a variety of mass spectrometry techniques).
If you have any questions about accessibility requirements please email Leah Adamson (IMSE Events Officer) on l.adamson@imperial.ac.uk
More webinars in the Antimicrobial Resistance Webinar series:
- 30 April 14.00 Viral Interferon Inhibiting Proteins and Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccines presented by Dr Anna Blakney
- 7 May 14.00 Studying Ratcheting Complexity in Evolution presented by Dr Morgan Beeby
- 14 May 14.00 Engineering Smart Surfaces: From The Laboratory Towards Real Life Use presented by Professor Nicholas Harrison, Professor Daryl Williams and Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus
- 21 May 14.00 How Artificial Gut Systems Show How Gut Microbiota Protect from Infection presented by Dr Julie McDonald
- 28 May 14.00 Synthetic Biology in Yeast for Sensing Pathogens Secreting Antimicrobials presented by Professor Tom Ellis
- 11 June 14.00 An Emerging Low-Cost Bacteria Adhesive Surfaces presented by Dr Pavani Cherukupally
- 18 June 14.00 Low Cost Polymeric Materials with Anti-Microbial Properties presented by Professor Daryl Williams
- 25 June 14.00 Lymphatic System Transport and Vaccine Adjuvants presented by Professor James Moore.
- 2 July 14.00 Microchip Technology enabling rapid diagnostics : from AMR – COVID-19 presented by Dr Pantelis Georgiou
For more information about IMSE involvement with surfaces to combat Antimicrobial Resistance please read our briefing paper Smart Surfaces to Tackle Infection and Anti Microbial Resistance