Ricerc@Sapienza

Our group has internationally recognized expertise in microbial genetics, bacterial genomics, computer science, and clinical microbiology as applied to the study of antibiotic resistance. At Sapienza, we have developed advanced expertise and instrumentation for bacterial genomics, and we have established methods to investigate the most relevant bacterial threats in nosocomial settings. In recent years, we have combined genomic approaches with innovative molecular methodologies to identify antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and to perform rapid molecular typing of resistant strains.
We have conducted real-time studies tracing the evolution of resistance in bacteria infecting patients treated with next-generation antibiotics and combination therapies.
These efforts have led to the identification of novel mechanisms conferring resistance to new-generation drugs. A key strength of our group lies in uncovering the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer mediated by plasmids, including plasmids associated with virulence traits in high-risk, clinically significant bacterial clones.
New research directions aim to design strategies to interfere with plasmid dissemination and restore antibiotic susceptibility, including CRISPR-Cas9-based curing of resistance plasmids.