INF-ACT: One Health Basic and Translational Research Actions addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases

IBB has a long-lasting experience in the field of structural biology applied to infectious diseases. The group of Dr Berisio has published over 120 publications on this topic and attracted several European grants on this topic. We use a multi-disciplinary approach, through the integration of molecular biology with computational and structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics. This molecular focus is integrated through a network of interactions with a European partnership with knowhow in immunology, bacteriology and virology. The use of antimicrobials, even when appropriate, creates a selective pressure for resistant organisms. Therefore, pathogens which seemed to be under control re-emerge in drug-resistant forms, and their progeny quickly become the dominant type throughout the microbial population. The increasing spread of multi-drug-resistant species (MDR) has been identified by the World Health Organisation as one of the three greatest threats to mankind. Among most scary emerging pathogens is a group of six nosocomial pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp.) named with the acronym ‘ESKAPE’ because capable of ‘escaping’ the biocidal action of antibiotics classified as highly important for human medicine. Among ESKAPE bacteria, three are the most problematic, the highly resistant Gram-negative (Gram-) Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, all typically associated with infections in severely ill hospitalised patients and considered by WHO as CRITICAL. Main aims of IBB in INF-ACT focus on emerging bacterial and viral pathogens to produce valid therapeutic solutions that constitute an alternative to antibiotics. These include vaccine antigens, drug adjuvants that revert bacterial resistance and phage-originated molecules. Emerging viruses are also tackled in INF-ACT. IBB has led several projects on the understanding of mechanism of action of SARS-CoV-2. In INF-ACT, IBB will identify strategies to tackle, beside SARS-CoV-2, emerging viruses like the West Nile and the monkeypox viruses.