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Microbial biotechnology

Specialized Group:

Olga Zafra, Alba Blesa, Estela Pérez-Lago, María Arroyo-Hernández, Raquel Francisco, Daniel García, Cruz Santos

Biosanitary Research Institute, Francisco de Vitoria University, Carretera Pozuelo-Majadahonda Km 1.8, Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), 28223, Spain

olga.zafra@ufv.es, c.santos@ufv.es

Members of the research group: Principal Investigator: Dr. Cruz Santos PhD Researchers: Dra. María Arroyo-Hernández, Dra. Alba Blesa, Dra. Estela Pérez-Lago and Dra. Olga Zafra; Graduates: Raquel Francisco and Daniel García

Collaborators: Dr. Fátima López Fabal (University Hospital of Móstoles, Madrid), Marina Peñuelas (San José Hospital, Madrid) and Dr. Francisco Javier Candel (San Carlos Clinical Hospital, Madrid)

The Microbial Biotechnology group, created 10 years ago, is a stable research group within the Biosanitary Research Institute attached to the Faculty of Experimental Sciences of the UFV (IIB-UFV). The group has focused on the use and study of microorganisms of interest in the food and clinical sectors.

 

RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY

The projects associated with the food microbiology area revolve around the function and application of yeasts during winemaking and the determination of functional compounds.

The yeast project “Study of the fermentative and biotechnological potential of non-wine yeasts Saccharomyces”, has made it possible to develop a procedure for differentiating species and strains based on the use of AFLP molecular markers. In addition, a method has been designed to identify yeasts in complex samples of grape must without the need for prior microbiological isolation and culture. This procedure has been patented at the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office with reference number 201500058. This project has given rise to the doctoral thesis entitled "Identification of indigenous yeasts by means of AFLP and study of their influence on directed fermentations to obtain signature wines." ” defended by Dr. Ignacio Baselga at UFV in 2017.

This technique is being applied in another project aimed at the molecular characterization of varieties of edible fungi. The project is carried out with funding and in collaboration with the company Gurelan S. Coop. and the objective is to define molecular patterns that allow differentiation of mushroom varieties of the species Agaricus bisporus.

In collaboration with the company Mostos Españoles S. A, a project is being carried out aimed at characterizing and quantifying the polyphenol content of concentrated grape must for use in food. This natural product is used as a base in many food products, being especially demanded in children's products. Therefore, the objective of this project is to determine how the must concentration process affects the content of polyphenols, natural antioxidant compounds highly demanded in the food sector. This work constitutes Daniel García's doctoral thesis research.

 

RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY

In 2017, a research project was started whose objective is the genotypic and phenotypic characterization of multi-resistant enteric bacteria to antibiotics. The project deals with the study of pathogenic enterobacteria resistant to carbapenems, last generation antibiotics, isolated in the Community of Madrid. The spread of antimicrobial resistance genes among pathogenic bacteria is a serious public health problem, hence the growing need for research in this area. We have worked with 30 hospital isolates from Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to carbapeneum. The objective of the project is to increase knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that allow the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance factors in pathogenic bacteria and the role that other virulence factors can play. From the phenotypic data obtained using the VITEK-2 system (Biomerieux) at the Móstoles hospital, 11 strains of K. pneumoniae and molecular characterization has been carried out by PCR. The data obtained have made it possible to identify strains that carry more resistance genes than was initially thought. Phenotypic analysis has shown that some strains form more biofilm and have greater resistance to UV radiation than the control strain without antibiotic resistance, but in no case are these phenotypes associated with a cost of fitness nor an improvement in antibiotic resistance. This work was expanded with strains resistant to carbapenems of the genus Enterobacter also from the Hospital de Móstoles in Madrid and the characterization of pan-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, potentially carriers of a metallocarbapenemase in which a synergistic interaction between this enzyme and the expression of β-lactamase AmpC is suspected.

from the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, potentially carriers of a metallocarbapenemase in which a synergistic interaction between this enzyme and the expression of β-lactamase AmpC is suspected. K. pneumoniae and from the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, potentially carriers of a metallocarbapenemase in which a synergistic interaction between this enzyme and the expression of β-lactamase AmpC is suspected. focusing on the analysis of the expression of antibiotic resistance genes and genes related to important ecological capacities in pathogenesis such as biofilm formation, expression of competition, resistance to ROS, etc. The aim is to determine whether these characteristics are related to antibiotic resistance and their degree of involvement in the survival of some clinical isolates compared to others. All of this is being carried out under different growth conditions, some of them simulating failed or abandoned antibiotic treatments by patients (subinhibitory amounts of antibiotics) in order to somehow recreate the behavior of pathogens in possible infection scenarios.

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Representative bibliography

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Baselga, I., Zafra, O., Pérez Lago, E., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Santos, C. (2017). An AFLP based method for the detection and identification of indigenous yeast in complex must samples without a microbiological culture. Baselga, I., Zafra, O., Pérez Lago, E., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Santos, C. (2017). An AFLP based method for the detection and identification of indigenous yeast in complex must samples without a microbiological culture. Baselga, I., Zafra, O., Pérez Lago, E., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Santos, C. (2017). An AFLP based method for the detection and identification of indigenous yeast in complex must samples without a microbiological culture.

Baselga, I., Zafra, O., Pérez Lago, E., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Santos, C. (2017). An AFLP based method for the detection and identification of indigenous yeast in complex must samples without a microbiological culture. Baselga, I., Zafra, O., Pérez Lago, E., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Santos, C. (2017). An AFLP based method for the detection and identification of indigenous yeast in complex must samples without a microbiological culture..

Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries. Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries. Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries. – Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries.

 

Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries. Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries.

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Baselga, I., Lago, E. P., de Laorden, E. H., Francisco-Álvarez, R., Rodríguez-Tarduchy, G., Iglesias, M., Santos, C. (2012). Molecular characterization of indigenous yeast strains isolated from Ribera de Duero Spanish wineries.