Bacterial population heterogeneity, stress response, and antibiotic tolerance are critical areas of research in microbiology and infectious diseases. Clinically antibiotic susceptibility testing is mainly focused on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) based susceptible and resistant classification. This testing ignores possible emergence of pathogen adaptations to antibiotics, which does not significantly increase the MIC of the strain but enhances antibiotic tolerance or persistence. Pathogens evolve under host and antibiotic stresses and genetic variants emerge which interact differently with the environment. This results in differences in population adaptations to antibiotics even among clinically susceptible isolates. This in turn influences the population evolutionary trajectory for antibiotic tolerance or persistence and finally leading to the emergence of resistance. Identifying such population adaptations in bacteria is important for improving antibiotic susceptibility testing, preventing the relapse of infection and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, it can help us to identify antibiotic potentiators or new drug targets for effective killing of bacterial population.
The goal of this research topic is to address the limitation in the understanding of bacterial population dynamics to antibiotic stress and its’ evolution. This will summarize how bacterial population heterogeneity contributes to the survival and evolution of the population under antibiotic stress. By summarizing the role of heterogeneity in bacterial survival and adaptation, this research aims to provide insights that could lead to improved clinical practices and novel therapeutic strategies.
The scope of the research topic includes, research work related to different aspects contributing to bacterial population heterogeneity, antibiotic tolerance, and persistence.
To gather further insights into the boundaries of bacterial population heterogeneity and antibiotic tolerance, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Phenotypic, epigenetic, and genetic mechanisms contributing to bacterial population heterogeneity.
- Survival strategies of bacterial sub-populations under antibiotic stress.
- Clinical implications of antibiotic tolerance and persistence, including hard-to-treat infections and relapse.
- The emergence of antibiotic resistance from tolerant and persistent populations.
- Interactions between antibiotic tolerance and resistance.
- Identification and development of antibiotic potentiators and new drug targets
- Antimicrobial resistance and stress response in fungal populations
Bacterial population heterogeneity, stress response, and antibiotic tolerance are critical areas of research in microbiology and infectious diseases. Clinically antibiotic susceptibility testing is mainly focused on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) based susceptible and resistant classification. This testing ignores possible emergence of pathogen adaptations to antibiotics, which does not significantly increase the MIC of the strain but enhances antibiotic tolerance or persistence. Pathogens evolve under host and antibiotic stresses and genetic variants emerge which interact differently with the environment. This results in differences in population adaptations to antibiotics even among clinically susceptible isolates. This in turn influences the population evolutionary trajectory for antibiotic tolerance or persistence and finally leading to the emergence of resistance. Identifying such population adaptations in bacteria is important for improving antibiotic susceptibility testing, preventing the relapse of infection and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, it can help us to identify antibiotic potentiators or new drug targets for effective killing of bacterial population.
The goal of this research topic is to address the limitation in the understanding of bacterial population dynamics to antibiotic stress and its’ evolution. This will summarize how bacterial population heterogeneity contributes to the survival and evolution of the population under antibiotic stress. By summarizing the role of heterogeneity in bacterial survival and adaptation, this research aims to provide insights that could lead to improved clinical practices and novel therapeutic strategies.
The scope of the research topic includes, research work related to different aspects contributing to bacterial population heterogeneity, antibiotic tolerance, and persistence.
To gather further insights into the boundaries of bacterial population heterogeneity and antibiotic tolerance, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Phenotypic, epigenetic, and genetic mechanisms contributing to bacterial population heterogeneity.
- Survival strategies of bacterial sub-populations under antibiotic stress.
- Clinical implications of antibiotic tolerance and persistence, including hard-to-treat infections and relapse.
- The emergence of antibiotic resistance from tolerant and persistent populations.
- Interactions between antibiotic tolerance and resistance.
- Identification and development of antibiotic potentiators and new drug targets
- Antimicrobial resistance and stress response in fungal populations