Staphylococcus aureus and violacein: citotoxicity studies, metabolomics and molecular analysis

• Grant number: 13/00342-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): July 17, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Brocchi
• Grantee: Bruna de Araujo Lima
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Preliminar results of our group indicated inhibition activity of violacein to Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA). Continuing these analyses, the aim of this project is to evaluate the biological activity of violacein to S. aureus. For this, the antimicrobial activity will be evaluated on S. aureus strains with intermediate resistance to vancomycin (VISA strains and hetero-VISA) and Enterococcus faecalis strains also. Time-kill curves in the presence of violacein will be performed. Considering our previous data, assessment of cytotoxicity, metabolomics analysis, proteomics (high-throughput methodologies) and transcriptome (RNA-Seq) in the presence and absence of violacein will be used in the search for elucidate possibles mechanism of action of this drug and molecular target(s).