About the project
Salmonella Dublin belongs to non-typhoidal Salmonella that primarily causes self-limiting gastrointestinal illness in humans however it has been associated with invasive disease and life-threatening bacteraemia. The basis underlying the virulence of Salmonella Dublin is poorly understood. Our genomic data analyses suggest that certain virulence genes might contribute to bacterial virulence and its ability to evade immune system however, no particular genetic determinants have been identified to differentiate between invasive and non-invasive strains.
The project aims to use genomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterize the invasome of Salmonella Dublin responsible for bacterial virulence, identify differentially expressed genes in invasive strains compared with their expression in non-invasive strains and understand the mechanisms used by bacteria to regulate virulence gene expression during its replication inside macrophages.
There is no vaccine against non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars including Dublin. Moreover, disease management is further complicated by the emergence of multidrug resistant strains. Our understanding of the basis of virulence in invasive Salmonella Dublin will provide insights into the development of novel drugs and effective vaccines.
Funding
This work is an ongoing project and interested applicants including research visitors and/or PhD students are welcome to contact.
Contact
For further information contact the Principal Investigator Dr Manal Mohammed at [email protected].