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Investigation
Pneumococcus
Research Lines
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Hepatitis
- Diseño de métodos diagnósticos para el estudio de los virus de las hepatitis (VH) A, B, C, D, E: Diseñamos sistemas de PCR para su detección y caracterización.
- Evaluación de métodos diagnósticos de los VH. Colaboramos con empresas para estudios de sensibilidad y especificidad de equipos diagnósticos.
- Estudios de Seroprevalencia de los virus de las hepatitis.
- Epidemiología genómica de genomas completos de VHA, VHB, VHC, VHD y VHE en colaboración con el ECDC. Estudios de trazabilidad del VHE.
- Caracterización molecular de virus de las hepatitis mediante secuenciación masiva: a) VHB: mutantes de escape HBsAg (prevalencia y efectos en la detección del HBsAg). Estudio de mutaciones en epítopos de estimulación inmune y mutaciones asociadas a evolución clínica desfavorable.
- b) VHC: resistencias a los antivirales de acción directa. Análisis molecular de subtipos poco frecuentes.
c) Estudios filogenéticos del VHD.
d) Análisis genómico del VHE.
e) Investigación etiológica de hepatitis no filiadas mediante estudios de metagenómica.
- b) VHC: resistencias a los antivirales de acción directa. Análisis molecular de subtipos poco frecuentes.
Research projects
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1. Proyecto CIBEREPS 2022. Microbiological and genomic investigation of hepatitis in children by metagenomic approach in case and control subjects (IP: Ana Avellón).
2023-2024. En colaboración con el Hospital San Joan de Deu de Barcelona.
2. MPY 501-19: Tracking hepatitis E virus infection by means of epidemiological research and whole genome sequencing. Project TrazHE. (IP: Ana Avellón). 2020-2024.
3. Proyecto CIBEREPS 2021 Metagenomic sequencing to identify viral aetiologies in undiagnosed paediatric cases of meningitis and encephalitis (IP: D. Tarragó). 2021-2022.
4. MPY 383/19 (PEJ2018-004446-A). Ayudas para la promoción de empleo joven e implantación de la garantía juvenil en I+D+I. análisis de la complejidad de secuencias de los virus de la hepatitis A, B, C; D y E (VHA, VHB, VHC, VHD y VHE) mediante técnicas de secuenciación masiva. (IP: Ana Avellón). 2020-2021.
5. MPY 1285/16 Movilidad "Salvador de Madariaga" programa estatal de promoción de talento y su empleabilidad. (IP: Ana Avellón). 2016.
Publications
Characterizing carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli isolates from Spain: high genetic heterogeneity and wide geographical spread.
1. Characterizing carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli isolates from Spain: high genetic heterogeneity and wide geographical spread. Dahdouh E, Gómez-Marcos L, Cañada-García JE, de Arellano ER, Sánchez-García A, Sánchez-Romero I, López-Urrutia L, de la Iglesia P, Gonzalez-Praetorius A, Sotelo J, Valle-Millares D, Alonso-González I, Bautista V, Lara N, García-Cobos S, Cercenado E, Aracil B, Oteo-Iglesias J, Pérez-Vázquez M; Spanish Eco-Carba Study Group. Revista: Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024 May 16;14:1390966.
PUBMED DOIThe sulfur-related metabolic status of Aspergillus fumigatus during infection reveals cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase as a promising antifungal target
Alharthi R, Sueiro-Olivares M, Storer I, Bin Shuraym H, Scott J, Al-Shidhani R, Fortune-Grant R, Bignell E, Tabernero L, Bromley M and Amich J. 2025. Virulence, 16(1):2449075
PUBMED DOIThe importance of microbiology reference laboratories and adequate funding for infectious disease surveillance
Shaw D, Torreblanca RA, Amin-Chowdhury Z, Bautista A, Bennett D, Broughton K, Casanova C, Choi EH, Claus H, Corcoran M, Cottrell S, Cunney R, Cuypers L, Dalby T, Davies H, de Gouveia L, Deghmane AE, Desmet S, Domenech M, Drew R, Plessis MD, Duarte C, Fuursted K, Golden A, Almeida SCG, Henares D, Henriques-Normark B, Hilty M, Hoffmann S, Humphreys H, Jacobsson S, Johnson C, Jolley KA, Kawabata A, Kozakova J, Kristinsson KG, Krizova P, Kuch A, Ladhani S, Lâm TT, Ayala MEL, Lindholm L, Litt D, Maiden MCJ, Martin I, Martiny D, Mattheus W, McCarthy ND, Meehan M, Meiring S, Mölling P, Morfeldt E, Morgan J, Mulhall R, Muñoz-Almagro C, Murdoch D, Musilek M, Novakova L, Oftadeh S, Perez-Arguello A, Pérez-Vázquez MD, Perrin M, Prevost B, Roberts M, Rokney A, Ron M, Sanabria OM, Scott KJ, Sempere J, Siira L, de Lemos APS, Sintchenko V, Skoczyńska A, Slotved HC, Smith AJ, Taha MK, Toropainen M, Tzanakaki G, Vainio A, van der Linden MPG, van Sorge NM, Varon E, Moreno JV, Vohrnova S, von Gottberg A, Yuste J, Brueggemann AB. Lancet Digit Health. 2025 Apr;7(4):e275-e281.
PUBMED DOIAdditional Information
The Pneumococcus Unit is in charge of two very important aspects related to pneumococcus infections, such as epidemiological surveillance and basic and translational research of diseases caused by this pathogen. Our unit contributes to the epidemiological surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), characterizing the serotypes and genotypes of invasive pneumococci circulating in Spain, as well as the evolution of antibiotic resistance in this pathogen.
Identification of culture-negative samples (CSF and pleural fluids) is performed using real-time PCR. Serotyping is performed using the Dot-blot and PCR-sequencing technique. Genotyping for the study of outbreaks and characterization of clones associated with hypervirulent and/or multiresistant strains is performed using the MLST technique and the analysis of complete genomes by massive sequencing. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility is determined following the EUCAST criteria.
Our unit belongs to the IBD-labnet network of the ECDC and annually notifies all cases of IPD to the ECDC and also to the IRIS (Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance) network. At the level of basic and translational research, our unit is responsible for studying and characterizing different molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and protection related to pneumococcal infection. Among the main objectives are the molecular characterization of virulence factors, the study of different vaccine candidate proteins and determining the possible impact that tobacco smoke and the formation of biofilms have on the colonization of the respiratory tract.
The Pneumococcus Unit is in charge of two very important aspects related to pneumococcus infections, such as epidemiological surveillance and basic and translational research of diseases caused by this pathogen. Our unit contributes to the epidemiological surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), characterizing the serotypes and genotypes of invasive pneumococci circulating in Spain, as well as the evolution of antibiotic resistance in this pathogen.
Identification of culture-negative samples (CSF and pleural fluids) is performed using real-time PCR. Serotyping is performed using the Dot-blot and PCR-sequencing technique. Genotyping for the study of outbreaks and characterization of clones associated with hypervirulent and/or multiresistant strains is performed using the MLST technique and the analysis of complete genomes by massive sequencing. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility is determined following the EUCAST criteria.
Our unit belongs to the IBD-labnet network of the ECDC and annually notifies all cases of IPD to the ECDC and also to the IRIS (Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance) network. At the level of basic and translational research, our unit is responsible for studying and characterizing different molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and protection related to pneumococcal infection. Among the main objectives are the molecular characterization of virulence factors, the study of different vaccine candidate proteins and determining the possible impact that tobacco smoke and the formation of biofilms have on the colonization of the respiratory tract.