Antimicrobial Resistance

The thematic area dedicated to multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria focuses on fundamental biological research into the mechanisms underlying the acquisition, expression, and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, with the aim of understanding and monitoring this growing threat to public health.

Research activities are primarily organized into the following areas:

• Omics Approaches and Predictive Models: Application of advanced omics technologies to characterize the genetic and molecular profiles of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The resulting biological data are used to develop innovative mathematical models that provide a high-resolution, systems-level understanding of bacterial behavior and antimicrobial resistance dynamics.
• Epidemiology, Genomics, and Environmental Correlations: Development and expansion of a whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data-sharing network to track the spread of MDR bacteria. These genomic data are used to map epidemiological patterns and investigate the complex biological relationships among microorganisms, the human host, and the environment.
• Preclinical Models and Advanced Diagnostics: Investigation of the biological mechanisms underlying severe bacterial infections—using MDR bacterial pneumonia, bloodstream infections (bacteremia), and sepsis as reference models—to identify novel biological targets and support the development of next-generation, high-resolution diagnostic systems.