Why does Acinetobacter lwoffii not become resistant to antibiotics? University of Birmingham in United Kingdom

Application deadline - midday (GMT) Friday 10 January 2025

Additional supervisor: Professor Kim Hardie, University of Nottingham

Acinetobacter lwoffii (AL) is a commensal of human skin but is also an emerging opportunistic pathogen that is now the leading cause of Acinetobacter-associated bacteraemia in the UK, ahead of the well-studied antimicrobial resistant (AMR) pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii (AB). Importantly, despite causing similar infections to AB and inhabiting the same niche, AL remains susceptible to antibiotics while AB is frequently highly multidrug resistant (MDR). We have previously shown that development of AMR in AL is constrained. However, the reasons why AL remains antibiotic susceptible, even under selection pressure, remain unclear. The aim of the project is to explain why AMR is constrained in the emerging pathogen AL and how this is influenced by the environment and the skin microbiome. This interdisciplinary project will combine expertise from three leading PIs across the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham and will provide training in molecular microbiology, AMR, evolution, whole genome sequencing and use of ex-vivo skin models with advanced microscopy techniques. This project will provide critical insights into an important emerging pathogen. Additionally, by understanding why resistance is constrained in AL, we can identify potential strategies for combating AMR in other pathogens, offering novel approaches to tackling this global health threat.