PRE2023-Patogénesis placentaria de Brucella (PID2022-139200OB-C21)

Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonoses worldwide, caused by bacteria of genus Brucella. The placenta is the target organ of Brucella infections and the main source of contamination for the environment, other animals and human beings. However, the mechanisms involved in Brucella placental tropism and multiplication remains unknown. In our previous projects, we identified key aspects of Brucella placental pathogenesis, which elucidation requires an interdisciplinary systems biology approach novel in animal brucellosis research. For this, on the basis of our successful previous collaboration, Teams 01-CSIC and 02-UIC will join efforts to identify essential genes for placental tropism and/or persistence of B. melitensis and B. suis strains with different placental preference. The knowledge generated will be used to build in-frame deletion vaccine candidates, which will be evaluated for safety and efficacy in preclinical mouse models. The FPI student will be trained in a wide variety of microbiology, genetics, immunology, 'omics', cell cultures, and animal experiments technologies; and he/she will be enrolled in the “Doctoral Program of Biotechnology'' of Public University of Navarra.