Connecting the dynamics of antimicrobial response across scales

The cellular physiology of microbes can vary significantly within a population, even when exposed to identical external conditions. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have shown that this diversity is crucial for population fitness and evolution. Our research focuses on understanding how this physiological heterogeneity impacts the response to antimicrobials at the cellular level and influences resistance evolution over extended periods.

 

To tackle this question, we have established an experimental framework to connect the single-cell level antimicrobial response of microbes with the short-term and long-term behaviors of their populations. Currently, we are employing this approach to analyse the extent of cellular heterogeneity and its role in shaping the population dynamics of microbial systems, specifically within the context of 1) Heterogeneous response and recovery from antibiotic treatment, 2) Antibiotic persistence and heteroresistance, and 3) Response and resistance towards bacteriophage treatment.

 

In this presentation, I would like to describe the background and motivation for this approach, discuss the key challenges, outline the necessary technical advancements made in our lab, and illustrate its potential with selected key findings from the three research areas mentioned above.

 

Learning Objectives