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Main scientific domain
Molecular Epidemiology and Genetics of Gram-Positive Bacteria.
Molecular Biology of Bacteriophages.
Research Interests
The main research interest of our laboratory is to understand the dynamics of populations of bacterial pathogens from human and animal origin and the molecular mechanisms involved in pathogen adaptation and virulence. Research activities include: - Comparison of phenotypes/genotypes of bacterial species/strains from different niches, clinical origins and hosts; - Analysis of the genomic structure and potential for horizontal gene transfer of phages (bacterial virus) and of other mobile genetic element; - Study of antimicrobial resistance patterns and mechanisms of resistance; - Investigation of the biological activity of new materials and new biocompounds against various pathogens; - Investigation of tailor-made strategies for infection control and risk assessment for bacterial colonization and infection.
Research team
Ilda Santos Sanches, PhD, Principal Investigator
Rosario Mato, PhD, r.labajos@fct.unl.pt Invited Assistant Professor, DCV-FCT/UNL
Natesan Balasubramanian, PhD, Postdoc fellow (co-supervision A. Fernandes, DCV-FCT/UNL)
Catarina Rodrigues, PhD, Postdoc fellow (co-supervision A. Fernandes, DCV-FCT/UNL)
Cinthia Barroco, PhD student (co-supervision A. Fernandes, DCV-FCT/UNL)
Carlos Florindo, PhD student (co-supervision M.J. Borrego, INSA. Portugal; B. Spellerberg, Ulm Univ. Germany)
Célia Leão PhD student (co-supervision J. Inácio, University of Brighton, UK)
Tiago Dias, MSc, Graduate fellow (co-supervision S. Gaudêncio, FCT-UNL. Portugal)
João Caço, MSc student (co-supervision A. Fernandes, DCV-FCT/UNL)
João Brito, MSc student (co-supervision R. Mato, DCV-FCT/UNL)
José Almeida, MSc student (co-supervision C. Roque, REQUIMTE-FCT/UNL)
Renato Pires, PhD rhmpires@gmail.com (collaborator)
Márcia Rato, PhD alexandra.marcia@gmail.com (collaborator)
Current Funding
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Unraveling the host specificity within Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae.
PTDC/CVT-EPI/4651/2012 – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (2013-2015).
Principal Investigator: Ilda Santos Sanches
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NANO_GUARD: Fullerene-based systems for oxidative inactivation of airborne microbial pathogens. Ref 269138. MC-IRSES
International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES). FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IRSES. 2010-2014. Team Leader: Ilda Santos Sanches;
Principal Investigator: Svetlana Lyubchik (FCT/UNL)
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Ocean Treasures - Ocean sediments from Madeira Archipelago: a new source of innovative and bioactive compounds.
PTDC/QUI-QUI/119116/2010 – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (2012-2014). Principal Investigator:
Susana Gaudêncio (FCT/UNL)
Selected publications
Florindo C., V. Damião, I. Silvestre, C. Farinha, F. Rodrigues, F. Nogueira, F. Martins-Pereira, R. Castro, M. J. Borrego, I. Santos-Sanches, and The Group for the Prevention of Neonatal GBS Infection. 2014. Epidemiological surveillance of colonising group B Streptococcus epidemiology in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions, Portugal (2005 to 2012): emergence of a new epidemic type IV/clonal complex 17 clone. Euro Surveill. 2014;19(23):pii=20825.
Leão C., D. Machado, I. Santos Sanches, I. Couto, M. Viveiros, J. Inácio, and A. Botelho. 2014. Relatedness of Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis clinical isolates of human and porcine origins assessed by MLVA. Vet. Microbiol. 173: 92-100. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.06.027
Rato M. G., R. Bexiga, C. Florindo, L. M. Cavaco, C. L. Vilela, and I. Santos-Sanches. 2012. Antimicrobial resistance and
molecular epidemiology of streptococci from bovine mastitis. Vet. Microbiol. 161: 286-294. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.07.043.
Pires R., C. D. Rolo, A. Morais, A. Brito-Avô, C. Johansson, B. Henriques-Normark, J.Gonçalo-Marques, and I. Santos-Sanches. 2011.
Description of macrolide-resistant and potential virulent clones of Streptococcus pyogenes causing asymptomatic colonization
during 2000-2006 in Lisbon area. Eur. J. Clin. Microb. Infect. Dis. 31:849-857. doi: 10.1007/s10096-011-1384-x.
Florindo C., J. P. Gomes, M. G. Rato, L. Bernardino, B. Spellerberg, I. Santos-Sanches, and M. J. Borrego. 2011. Molecular
epidemiology of group B streptococcal meningitis in children beyond the neonatal period from Angola. J. Med. Microbiol.
60: 1276-1280. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.031674-0.
Rato M. G., A. Nerlich, R. Bergmann, R. Bexiga, S. F. Nunes, C. L. Vilela, I. Santos-Sanches and G. S. Chhatwal. 2011.
Virulence gene pool detected in bovine group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae using a group A
Streptococcus pyogenes virulence microarray. J. Clin. Microbiol. 49:2470-2479. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00008-11
Pires R., C. Ardanuy, D. Rolo, A. Morais, A. Brito-Avô, J.Gonçalo-Marques, J. Liñares, and I. Santos-Sanches. 2010.
Emergence of ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from healthy children and pediatric patients in
Portugal. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 54:2677-2780. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01536-09
Rato M.G., R. Bexiga, S. F. Nunes, C. L. Vilela, and I. Santos-Sanches. 2010. Human group A streptococci virulence genes in
bovine group C streptococci. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 16:116-119. DOI: 10.3201/eid1601.090632.
Pires R. D. Rolo, R. Mato, J. F. Almeida, C. Johansson. B. Henriques-Normark, A. Morais, A. Brito-Avô, J. G. Marques, and
I. Santos-Sanches. 2009. Resistance to bacitracin in Streptococcus pyogenes from oropharyngeal colonization and noninvasive
infections in Portugal was caused by two clones of distinct virulence genotypes. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 296:235-240. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2009.01642.x
Mato R., F. Almeida, R. Pires, P. Rodrigues, S. Carvalho, T. Ferreira, and I. Santos-Sanches. 2009. Assessment of high-level
gentamicin and glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium clonal structure in a Portuguese hospital
over a 3-year period. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 28:855-859. doi: 10.1007/s10096-009-0704-x
Rato M. G., R. Bexiga, S. F. Nunes, L. M. Cavaco, C. L. Vilela, and I. Santos-Sanches. 2008. Molecular epidemiology and
population structure of bovine Streptococcus uberis. J. Dairy Sci. 91:4542-4551. doi: 10.3168/jds.2007-0907
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