Medical Scientist-Programm 2025

Thema: "Enhancing hospital surveillance through methylation-guided plasmid-host pairing for multidrug-resistant bacteria"

Zusammenfassung:
The emergence of healthcare-associated infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria poses a significant challenge, particularly in infection prevention, due to the complex dynamics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) plasmid transfer and persistence. Traditional whole-genome sequencing methods have provided valuable insights but are limited in resolving plasmid-host relationships within metagenomic samples. Nanopore sequencing by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) offers a promising alternative by generating complete genomic assemblies and detecting DNA methylation patterns without chemical pretreatment. Preliminary findings indicate that methylation signatures enable plasmid-host linking and strain differentiation, highlighting their potential as a novel surveillance tool. This research project aims to evaluate the stability and traceability of methylation patterns under antibiotic pressure, validate their use in complex clinical samples, and develop a streamlined, easy-to-use bioinformatic workflow for methylation detection. Leveraging the extensive clinical isolate collection at University Hospital Jena, the study will assess the feasibility of methylation-based plasmid-host linking as a novel surveillance layer for AMR-plasmid-carrying bacteria. This approach could transform our understanding of AMR transmission dynamics and strengthen infection prevention strategies in healthcare settings.