Research

 

The research in the Laboratory of Biotechnology can be categorized into two main areas: Medical Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology.

Medical Biotechnology
              Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to human health and is recognized as a silent pandemic. A recent report revealed that deaths associated with bacterial AMR numbered 4.95 million per year worldwide in 2019, including 1.27 million directly attributable to AMR. Nosocomial, or hospital-acquired, infections are major contributors to the death toll and negatively affect public health in both developed and developing countries. Medical Biotechnology research studies encompass: host-microbe interactions, oxidative stress responses, molecular analyses of AMR mechanisms (from the central dogma to phenotype) and connections between human, animal and environmental health to tackle AMR, using a “One Health Approach”. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Candida albicans are the microbes of interest. Areas of research in Medical Biotechnology can be divided into three approaches:

  1. Antimicrobial resistance: One health approach
  2. Elucidation of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in pathogenic bacteria
  3. Stress responses in pathogenic bacteria

Insights gained from these studies will contribute to the development of new treatments for bacterial infections.
Environmental Biotechnology
              Water fecal pollution has been a persistent problem not only in urban areas but also in agricultural regions, especially in areas where livestock is raised. Our laboratory focuses on utilizing enteric microorganisms that are specific to each host, such as humans, pigs, cows, and birds, to track sources of fecal contamination; so-called Microbial Source Tracking (MST). The capability to accurately identify fecal pollution sources will facilitate water resource management and restoration. Additionally, since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have used Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE) techniques to monitor the genome levels of COVID-19 in wastewater to serve as an early or real-time warning of community outbreaks. WBE has the advantages of detecting disease circulation in asymptomatic patients and reducing the number of samples, and thus the costs, necessary for community surveillance. Consequently, WBE can complement clinical testing to guide targeted public health measures.
Another major research theme in Environmental Biotechnology is the analysis of how bacteria sense and respond to environmental pollutants, such as metals, biocides and antibiotic residues. These pollutants can exert selective pressures on bacteria that can promote the development of antibiotic resistance through co-selection. These responses are being investigated in the soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and human pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.