Evolution and Health

Resistance to antibiotics and antivirals represents one of the greatest threats to health and an issue of great economic importance, as recognised by international organisations such as the WHO and the OECD. Being the result of natural processes but accelerated by human intervention, there are multiple factors that influence their appearance and expansion. Therefore, the strategies adopted and under study to control resistance must include interventions at various levels. From the "Evolution and Health" research group at the Universitat de València, we propose a project that integrates two of our main lines of work, experimental evolution and molecular epidemiology, into a single objective: to analyse how to optimise drug administration strategies in order to delay or avoid the expansion of resistance. To do this, we will apply different designs of experimental evolution under controlled laboratory conditions using two different microorganisms: a bacterium (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and an RNA virus (human rhinovirus). The experimental system also contemplates two basic environments, one in vitro (cultures) and another in vivo (using the murine model for both pathogens). Resistance development will be functionally evaluated and the appearance and dynamics of genetic variants responsible for resistance will be analysed at regular intervals. For this we will use ultra-sequencing techniques that will allow us to evaluate the genetic variability and its distribution throughout the genome of each population, as well as the effects derived from resistance mutations.

Description

Title: Evolution and Health. Experimental evolution and resistance to antibiotics and antivirals.

Research Group: Molecular Epidemiology

Resistance to antibiotics and antivirals represents one of the greatest threats to health and an issue of great economic importance, as recognised by international organisations such as the WHO and the OECD. Being the result of natural processes but accelerated by human intervention, there are multiple factors that influence their appearance and expansion. Therefore, the strategies adopted and under study to control resistance must include interventions at various levels. From the "Evolution and Health" research group at the Universitat de València, we propose a project that integrates two of our main lines of work, experimental evolution and molecular epidemiology, into a single objective: to analyse how to optimise drug administration strategies in order to delay or avoid the expansion of resistance. To do this, we will apply different designs of experimental evolution under controlled laboratory conditions using two different microorganisms: a bacterium (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and an RNA virus (human rhinovirus). The experimental system also contemplates two basic environments, one in vitro (cultures) and another in vivo (using the murine model for both pathogens). Resistance development will be functionally evaluated and the appearance and dynamics of genetic variants responsible for resistance will be analysed at regular intervals. For this we will use ultra-sequencing techniques that will allow us to evaluate the genetic variability and its distribution throughout the genome of each population, as well as the effects derived from resistance mutations.

Non-UV principal researchers

Fernando González Candelas

Non-UV participating researchers

Rafael Sanjuán Verdeguer
Fco. Xavier López-Labrador

Start date

2016 December

End date

2019 November

Funding agencies:

Direcció General d’Universitats, Investigació i Ciència, Conselleria d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport, Generalitat Valenciana

Partners:

Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO)