Multidisciplinary Research Center on Antimicrobial Resistance (MULTIREZ)

The MULTI-REZ Advanced Research Center was born out of the ongoing need to study the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.

Current research activities include:

– involvement of members in editing and translating specialized chapters in treatises on clinical microbiology with international circulation (Murray), dissemination of information in the medical community (annual organization of specialized postgraduate courses), participation in symposia and the Centenary of the Cantacuzino Institute, participation in national and international conferences.

Together with our colleagues from the all the Faculties of our university, we have successes to conduct experiments that include tests for antibacterial activity on several multidrug resistant pathogens. We will continue multidisciplinary studies in order to find a new therapeutic alternative for infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria.

In order to achieve high quality scientific work, to increase the research standards and to ensure sufficient funding opportunities we will collaborate with researchers from other universities. At this stage we are already collaborating, in this regards, with Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania” from Timisoara, Polytechnic University of Timisoara and Polytechnic University of București.

In most cases, clinical research teams require the intervention of the medical microbiologists to complete their studies related to the infections caused by multidrug resistant pathogens. Having a research team members trained in 2 specialties, Medical Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, would certainly contribute to the collaborative work and enable the researcher who finalizes the research project to be able to participate in the clinical aspects of laboratory research.

There has been an increasing interest in biofilms in recent years, so that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cited biofilm-associated diseases as major healthcare safety challenges faced by the medical community. It was estimated that over 65% of health care-associated infections are caused by biofilms.

For this reason, we would like to see incorporated in the future research activity the microbial biofilm study based on the following research topics:

–  Study of microorganism growth in biofilms;

–  To establish the mechanism of biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents;

–  Studies on the potential of medical procedures to impact on biofilm flora and to inoculate distant sites;

–  Development of methodology for prevention and control of biofilms from catheters, water unit lines and other clinically important solid surfaces;

–  Finding several derived compounds and essential oils that could influence biofilm formation by inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis.