Jennifer Moussa
Email: Jennifer.moussa@sund.ku.dk
Twitter: Moussajenni
Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen
Department for Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Stigbøjlen 4
1870 Frederiksberg C
Education and experience:
I obtained my BSc in biology from the Lebanese American University (LAU), Lebanon in 2016. During my bachelors, I joined Prof. Sima Tokajian’s lab at LAU as a research assistant. As part of my training, I learned many laboratory techniques and I contributed to a publication entitled “Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in wastewaters and refugee camp in Lebanon” in which we studied the resistant E. coli isolates from Lebanese wastewaters.
This project triggered my interest in looking into water sources in Lebanon, which was possibly contaminated with sewage. So after getting my Bachelor’s degree I entered the Master’s program at LAU as part of Prof. Sima Tokajian’s microbial genomics lab. The focus of my thesis was studying and defining the role of mobile genetic elements, particularly plasmids, in the propagation of resistance determinants in water sources from possibly contaminated Lebanese rivers. This project was presented in many conferences and it was recently published in FEMS Microbiology Ecology journal.
As a second project, I started working on the genomic characterization of a novel plasmid carrying the carbapenem resistance encoding gene blaOXA-48. This work was published in the journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy. In addition, I was able to identify the integration of a 40kb plasmid in a K. pneumoniae strain from my thesis project. This work was recently published in the Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance.
Project description
ESR8. Identification of metabolic reactions essential for spread of resistance plasmids
Plasmids play an important role in spread of antimicrobial resistance, and recent studies have shown that treatment with cephalosporin drugs may increase transfer of resistance plasmids in vivo. The project aims to determine the mechanisms behind this antibiotic induced conjugative spread of resistance-plasmids in Escherichia coli. It will identify genes and regulatory pathways that are involved in the increased frequency of resistance-plasmid transfer using molecular techniques. The project is carried out in collaboration with University of Sassari, Italy, and the ESR is expected to spend at least 2-3 months in the laboratories of the co-supervisor, Professor Salvatore Rubino, to carry out detailed characterization of mechanisms affecting the enhancement seen in plasmid transfer during treatment. Further, a screen for compounds, which can interfere with the increase in plasmid-transfer, will be carried out in collaboration with ABAC Therapeutics, Barcelona, Spain. The ESR will also participate in network-wide training activities.