Events

Bojana Bogovič Matijašić, Senior Research Fellow at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, Head of the Institute of Dairy and Probiotics, and and Leader of the research program Nutrition and Microbial Ecology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, will give a public talk on the topic “Resistomes of probiotic and starter cultures as potential risk factors for the spread of antibiotic resistance” in the G106 Auditorium of Ilia State University on December 15, at 16:00.

About the Lecture

The professor will present the results of the newly completed project “Resistomes of probiotic and starter cultures as potential risk factors for the spread of antibiotic resistance”.

The intensive use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine over the past 50 years has led to the problem of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microorganisms and reduced the effectiveness of treatment of infections, which the World Health Organisation has declared one of the greatest threats to health. Probiotic bacteria, starter cultures intentionally introduced into the food chain, and naturally fermented foods have also been identified as reservoirs of resistance. But the actual risk of these products in terms of resistance has not yet been properly evaluated.

In the present study, an approach combining conventional analyses with genomic and metagenomic analyses was used to assess the burden of starter and probiotic cultures with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the risk of transmission of ARGs found.

In addition, in collaboration with the George Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology (Prof. Nina Chanishvili, Head of R&D Department), previously characterised isolates from artisanal Matsoni products collected in Georgia were examined by comparative genomic analyses and evaluated from a safety perspective.

About the Speaker

Bojana Bogovič Matijašić is a Senior Research Fellow at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, Head of the Institute of Dairy and Probiotics, and leader of the research program Nutrition and Microbial Ecology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Her main interests are characterization of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites, studies of functionality of probiotics and their

metabolites, studies of gut microbiota/microbiome and resistomes. She supervised 6 young researchers, 5 doctoral dissertations and several master's or bachelor's theses. She delivers lectures to master's students in Biotechnology, Food Science and Nutrition courses, and to doctoral students in Biosciences.

Working language: English

Time: December 15, 16:00

Location: Ilia State University, G106 Auditorium, G. Tsereteli St. N1

Attendance is free.

2022