Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacilli, particularly carbapenem resistance, represents a critical threat to global public health.
In this scenario, plasmids and other mobile genetic elements play a central role, acting as vehicles for the dissemination of resistance and virulence genes among bacteria.
Our group uses two priority models to study this dynamic:

• Acinetobacter baumannii and non-baumannii species: Plasmid-mediated resistance. We investigate carbapenem resistance associated primarily with OXA and NDM-type carbapenemases. We focus on the dynamics of plasmids, carriers of these genes, which contain mobile genetic elements, as well as specific recombination sites (XerC/D).

• Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae. We study hypervirulent strains whose pathogenicity is strongly linked to plasmids. A recent phenomenon stands out: the convergence of hypervirulence and resistance, a globally concerning trend where strains, in addition to being highly virulent, acquire resistance to multiple antibiotics.

Our objective: We propose a comprehensive approach (genomic and functional) to understand how intragenomic mechanisms drive the evolution of these plasmids. We aim to generate key knowledge that will contribute to the design of new control and treatment strategies.