Mass spectrometry imaging of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria

• Grant number: 19/05482-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ana Valéria Colnaghi Simionato
• Grantee: Milena Cristina Vieira Fernandes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Pathogenic bacteria are one of the main research targets due to the prevalence in the environment, more specifically in the health context. Antibiotics use is crucial to treat disease symptoms caused by harmful lineages of such bacteria. However, they are able to evolve acquiring resistance to the antibiotics. Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an example of resistant pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, their resistance characteristic are of scientific interest. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) coupled to desorption electrospray (DESI) is a powerful technique to understand how such resistance characteristics evolve from bacteria and how they can be potentially treated. Identification of different ions with specific m/z ratios in resistant and wild lineages, besides their respective localization on the colonies surface, will aid identification of potential MRSA metabolites that confer antibiotic resistance. Since DESI-MSI analysis is performed under environmental conditions, a scarce or no sample preparation step is required, what maintains the bacteria colony integrity and enables the detection of potential indicators of the compounds physiological functions. In the near future, we hope it will be possible to find alternative treatments to the currently used antibiotics, which is a great impact in the health and economy sectors.