Offer

- DNA sequencing, including capillary and whole-genome sequencing, and metagenomic analysis

- Molecular typing of Gram-negative bacteria

- Detection of resistance mechanisms in Gram-negative bacteria (β-lactamases, mechanisms of resistance in fluroquinolones, aminoglycosides, colistin, etc.)

- Applications of mass spectrometry in microbiology

- Applications of Raman spectroscopy in microbiology

Expertise

- The research projects aim to execute molecular epidemiology of factors affecting dissemination of multi-drug resistance among nosocomial pathogens.

- Methodological approaches, also, include analysis of genetic carriers of resistance determinants and whole-genome sequencing.

- The second main objective of the research projects is intending in the development of new techniques for the detection and study of resistance mechanisms using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy.

Research Area & Excellence

Scientific activities of Laboratory of Antibiotic Resistance and Application of Mass spectrometry in Microbiology (ARAMM) are mainly focused on mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics, especially to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems, in Gram-negative bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp.). In 2011, the members of our group demonstrated that MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry can directly detect carbapenemase activity. Also, recently, we patented a method for the identification of β-lactamases in clinical isolates by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, based on their molecular weight.

Members

- Assoc. Prof. Jaroslav Hrabák, Ph.D., M.Sc.– Research Group Leader

- Constantinos C. Papagiannitsis, Ph.D.

- Kateřina Chudějová, M.Sc.

- Anna Skálová, M.D.

- Dana Králová, DiS.

- Tamara Bergerová, M.D.

- Ibrahim Bitar, Ph.D.

- Miroslava Chalupová, M.D.

- Vladislav Jakubů, M.Sc.

- Helena Janouškovcová, M.D.

- Lucie Kraftová, B.Sc.

- Veronika Pašková, M.Sc.

- Radka Walková, M.D.

- Assoc. Prof. Helena Žemličková, M.D., Ph.D.

Selected Publications

- Hrabák J., Papagiannitsis C.C., Chudáčková E.: Detection of carbapenemases in Enterobacteriaceae: a challenge for diagnostic microbiological laboratories. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 20, 2014: 839–853. DOI: 10.1111/1469-0691.12678

- Papagiannitsis C.C., Kotsakis S.D., Tuma Z., Gniadkowski M., Miriagou V., Hrabak J.: Identification of CMY-2-type cephalosporinases in clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae by MALDI-TOF MS. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 58 (5), 2014: 2952–2957. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.02418-13

- Hrabák J., Papagiannitsis C.C., Študentová V., Jakubů V., Fridrichová M., Žemličková H. and Czech Participants of European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network: First outbreaks of carbapenemaseproducing Klebsiella pneumoniae in the Czech Republic in 2011. Eurosurveillance 2013: 18(45): pii=20626

- Papagiannitsis C. C., Studentova V., Hrabak J., Kubele J., Jindrák V., Zemlickova H.: Isolation from a nonclinical sample of a Leclercia adecarboxylata producing a VIM-1 metallo-β-lactamase. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 57, 2013: 2896– 2897. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00052-13

- Hrabák J., Studentová V., Walková R., Zemlicková H., Jakubu V., Chudácková E., Gniadkowski M., Pfeifer Y., Perry J.D., Wilkinson K., Bergerová T.: Detection of NDM-1, VIM-1, KPC, OXA-48, and OXA-162 carbapenemases by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 50, 2012: 2441–2443, DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01002-12

- Hrabák J., Walková R., Študentová V., Chudáčková E., Bergerová T.: Carbapenemase Activity Detection by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 49, 2011: 3222–3227; DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00984-11