Antibiotics Webinar | Phages and Endolysins: Uniting Global Research Across Continents
the chair
7th Antibiotics Webinar
Phages and Endolysins: Uniting Global Research Across Continents
The webinar "Phages and Endolysins: Uniting Global Research Across Continents" explores the emerging field of bacteriophages (phages) and endolysins as novel approaches to combat pathogen bacteria. Phages, viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria, are gaining attention as potential alternatives to antibiotics, especially in the face of rising antibiotic resistance. Endolysins, enzymes produced by phages, can break down bacterial cell walls, offering another powerful tool in the fight against infections. This webinar highlights the collaborative efforts of researchers worldwide, focusing on the latest advancements in phage therapy and endolysin-based treatments. Experts discuss their potential applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry, as well as the challenges involved in bringing these therapies to clinical/industrial practice. By uniting researchers across continents, the event aims to foster international cooperation, accelerate the development of alternative antimicrobials, and address the growing threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Ultimately, this webinar emphasizes the global significance of phages and endolysins in shaping the future of infectious disease treatment and public health.
Date: 11 November 2024
Time: 2:00 pm CET | 9:00 pm CST Asia | 8:00 am EST
Webinar ID: 850 3034 4057
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Hui Zhang
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS), Nanjing, China;
Dr. Zhang is responsible for a number of funded projects involving antimicrobial resistance and agro-food safety. Her research interests pertain to pathogen resistance and biological control technology in the production and consumption of livestock and poultry products. To date, her work has involved the use of phage and phage endolysins, antimicrobial peptides, lysozyme as a preservative in food processing (e.g., chicken, pork, aquatic products), animal ecological breeding and the development of antibiotic alternatives. This includes the study of bacteriophages in symbiotic microbial ecosystems using both culture-based and culture-independent (metagenomic) approaches, the characterization of novel phage isolates, an analysis of the mechanisms of the host cell recognition by bacterio-phages, and a structural and functional analysis of bacteriophage adsorption apparatus.
Dr. Mariana Piuri
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Mariana Piuri obtained her degree in Biological Sciences from the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (FCEN) at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in 1998. She completed her PhD in the Department of Biological Chemistry under the supervision of Carmen Sanchez Rivas and Sandra Ruzal, working on the characterization of the osmotic stress response in Lactobacillus casei and the role of the proteolytic system (2003). From 2004 to 2009, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow and Postdoc-toral Research Associate in Graham Hatfull's lab at the Pittsburgh Bacteriophage Institute, the University of Pittsburgh, USA. During this time, she gained experience working with bacteriophages, particularly mycobacteriophages. Since 2010, upon returning to Argentina, she has established an independent and innovative re-search line in a relatively unexplored area, with direct technological applications, particularly focused on the study and applications of phages that infect Mycobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. In the former case, she has concentrated on developing tools based on mycobacteriophages for tuberculosis diagnosis and the search for new anti-tubercular drugs. In recent years, she has also focused on characterizing the host recognition machinery in phages that infect Lactobacillus spp. Her research has been published in prestigious international microbiology journals, and she has served as an invited speaker at numerous international conferences, particularly in the fields of bacteriophages, tuberculosis, and lactic acid bacteria. She is the coordinator of the Bacteriophage Course at her institution, encouraging the training of human resources in this discipline in Latin America. She is currently an Independent Researcher at CONICET and an Associate Professor in Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology in the Department of Biological Chemistry, FCEN, UBA, where she is a Group Leader of the Bacteriophage and Biotechnological Applications Laboratory.
Dr. Ayman El-Shibiny
Zewail City of Science and Technology, El Cairo, Egypt;
Dr. Ayman El-Shibiny is currently working as a Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Director of the Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy (CMP). El-Shibiny obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Microbiology from the University of Nottingham, the UK, in 2006. Prior to joining Zewail City, El-Shibiny worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at a number of universities, including the University of Nottingham (UK), Cardiff University (UK), and the Evergreen State College (USA). As a Microbiologist, El-Shibiny’s research interests cover a broad range of topics related to food safety and human health. Professor El-Shibiny champions an innovative approach to harnessing the power of bacteriophages. His research explores their potential to combat a wide range of human infections, from those affecting wounds and the gut to foodborne illnesses. El-Shibiny's center focuses on developing the tools needed for successful phage therapy. This includes phage isolation, amplification, and typing techniques to identify the most effective phages for specific targets. Additionally, they leverage cutting-edge molecular techniques to produce potent phage-based products for controlling bacterial contamination.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
This webinar, chaired by Dr. Pilar García, explored cutting-edge research on bacteriophages. Dr. Hui Zhang discussed using phage compounds to inhibit Clostridium perfringens and enhance gut microbiota immunometabolism. Dr. Mariana Piuri presented reporter mycobacteriophages for detecting M. tuberculosis and assessing antibiotic susceptibility. Lastly, Dr. Ayman El-Shibiny highlighted phage therapy as a potential solution to antibiotic resistance in Africa. This session concluded that bacteriophages hold significant potential as innovative tools for combating antibiotic resistance, improving microbial health, and advancing rapid diagnostics in clinical and global health contexts.
The webinar was hosted via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found below. In order to learn about future webinars, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Beyond Phages: Exploring Endolysins as Key Players in the Future of Antibacterial Therapeutics
Edited by Dr. Pilar García Suárez
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024