Research team
Expertise
Prof. Sandra Van Puyvelde joined the Laboratory of Medical Microbiology at UA as an Assistant Professor in 2019. She received her MSc and PhD degree in Bioscience Engineering at the University of Leuven (Belgium). In her PhD research, she studied Salmonella Typhimurium gene regulation during biofilm formation. After her PhD she obtained an advanced MSc degree in Statistical Data Analysis at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and worked as a research fellow at the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp studying the genomics of Salmonella causing bloodstream infections in Africa, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge and Cambridge University where she worked as a visiting researcher since 2015 and 2018 respectively. She combined her appointment at UA with a Senior Research Associate appointment at the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge until 2024. In her research, Sandra Van Puyvelde combines bioinformatics and molecular approaches to understand bacterial infections, their adaptation and evolution to the human host, their resistance to antibiotics and coverage by vaccines. Member of Belgian networks and committees: - Elected member (2021), board member (2022) and co-chair (2023) of the Young Academy Belgium - Member of the scientific council op Sciensano, the public health institute of Belgium Invited speaker on Podcast ‘Universiteit van Vlaanderen': https://www.universiteitvanvlaanderen.be/podcast/kan-je-sterven-door-een-rauw-ei
Evolution of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium: exploring horizontal gene transfer and its usage for ancestral reconstruction.
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a role in bacterial evolution, facilitating the acquisition of beneficial traits like antibiotic resistance and virulence factors, enabling adaptation to changing environments. However, the extent and impact of HGT in the evolution of Salmonella, particularly in the context of increasing invasiveness, remains poorly understood. This project aims to elucidate the prevalence and role of HGT in the evolution of invasive Salmonella (S.) enterica serovar Typhimurium, a major cause of invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease in sub-Saharan Africa. By integrating bioinformatics with classical bacterial wet-lab technologies, the project seeks to characterize HGT events and assess recombination rates in invasive clinical isolates, using whole-genome sequencing data, phylogenetic analyses, and bacterial recombination techniques. Furthermore, this project aims to develop a novel technology for the reverse evolutionary reconstruction of extinct ancestor strains using the principles of recombination, which will contribute to our understanding of bacterial evolution and pathogenesis. Overall, this research project will provide insights into the mechanisms involved in the evolution towards invasiveness of S. Typhimurium, with potential implications for public health, and the application of recombination to reconstruct ancestor strains will be groundbreaking from a synthetic biology perspective.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Puyvelde Sandra
- Fellow: Hoeben Ine
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
The role of DNA satellites in bacterial evolution.
Abstract
Bacterial genomics is a flourishing research field, in which relatedness is assessed by genetic variation between bacterial strains. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are typically used as the sole source of genetic variation. However, there is likely much variation between bacteria that is currently overlooked. In this project, the role of DNA satellites during bacterial evolution will be studied. Hereto, DNA satellites will be systematically identified in Salmonella Typhimurium and across the bacterial kingdom. Thereafter, the dynamics of DNA satellites and SNPs during evolution will be assessed. Finally, the effect on the cellular transcriptome response will be measured and compared between DNA satellites and SNPs. Together, this study will provide a comprehensive view on the role of DNA satellites during bacterial evolution and shed a novel perspective on bacterial genetics.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Puyvelde Sandra
- Fellow: Arconada Nuin Enya
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Asses the variation in lipopolysaccharide structure in circulating African invasive Salmonella Typhimurium isolates to predict vaccine coverage.
Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) is the major cause of bacterial bloodstream infections among young children and disease management is jeopardised by increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The O-antigen portion of Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is recognised as key target antigen for protective immunity and O-antigen-based vaccines covering the main serovars Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis are in development. Some of the vaccine candidates are about to enter phase 1 clinical trials; however, efficacy in Africa will not be tested for several years. O-antigen structural variability can have an impact on the protective immunity of corresponding vaccines. Serotyping and genomic investigation of recent iNTS isolates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have shown increasing rates of iNTS isolates with variation in O-antigen structure. In particular, more than 45 % of the recent Salmonella Typhimurium isolates do not present O:5 specificity, associated to O-antigen O-acetylation. In this project, we will analyse the genomic variation of O-antigen of Salmonella Typhimurium DRC isolates within the African context. The genomic basis of differences in O-antigenic structure will be proven by mutagenesis experiments. We will determine the O-antigen structure from a panel of Salmonella Typhimurium isolates recently collected in DRC, ascertaining the nature of the O-antigen genomic variations. The coverage of current O-antigen based vaccines against iNTS is likely to be impacted by the O-antigen structural variability, and this project will yield key insights on how to improve the current vaccines.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Puyvelde Sandra
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project