We study how bacteria respond to antibiotics from multiple perspectives; ranging from molecular biology to infection epidemiology. Our ultimate goal is to develop better ways to treat infections and new strategies to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Quick links
Identifying persisters cells which survive antibiotic treatment.
Antibiotic collateral damage can lead to resistant superinfections.
We take an interdisciplinary approach to studying antibiotic resistance and antibiotic tolerance, combining molecular microbiology and advanced microscopy methods with evolution studies, pathogen genomics, and analysis of clinical records.
Antibiotics are a double-edged sword: while they help clear an ongoing infection they also select for resistant pathogens within the patient’s microbiota, making future infections harder to treat. We are interested in understanding how antibiotic resistance spreads within patients during treatment and in developing new methods to reduce this unwanted collateral damage.
Antibiotic treatment can also fail not because the bacteria are resistant but rather because they transiently enter a dormant state which is highly tolerant to conventional antibiotics. Furthermore, tolerance-conferring mutations can rapidly evolve in response to treatment. We are working on new way to eradicate these ‘sleeping’ bacteria to help stop infections recurring and reduce the number of antibiotic courses that patients need to take.
2022
Minimizing treatment-induced emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections.
Stracy, M., Snitser, O., Yelin, I., Amer, Y., Parizade, M., Rimler, G., Wolf, T., Herzel, E., Koren, G., Kuint, J., Foxman, B., Chodick, G., Shalev, V. and Kishony, R.
Science – 375(6583): 889-894.
2021
Transient non-specific DNA binding dominates the target search of bacterial DNA-binding proteins.
Stracy, M., Schweizer, J., Sherratt, D., Kapanidis, A.N., Uphoff, S. and Lesterlin, C.
Molecular Cell – 81(7): 1499-1514.e6.
2016
Single-molecule imaging of UvrA and UvrB recruitment to DNA lesions in living Escherichia Coli.
Stracy, M., Jaciuk, M., Uphoff, S., Kapanidis, A.N., Nowotny, M., Sherratt, D.J. and Zawadzki, P.
Nucleic Acid Research – 47(1): 210-220.
2015
Live-cell superresolution microscopy reveals the organization of RNA polymerase in the bacterial nucleoid.
Stracy, M., Lesterlin, C., Garza de Leon, F., Uphoff, S., Zawadzki, P. and Kapanidis, A.N.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. – 112(32): E4390-9.
Dunn School strengthens its research on bacterial pathogenesis
March 2022
Dr Georgia Isom and Dr Mathew Stracy lead two new research groups in the Dunn School. March marks the beginning of a new phase at the Dunn School with the arrival of two new research groups, led by Dr Georgia Isom and Dr Mathew Stracy. Both Dr Isom and Dr Stracy have secured highly competitive...
Antibiotic-prescribing algorithm reduces the risk of antibiotic resistance emergence in patients
February 2022
New paper by the Stracy group uses machine learning to predict individual risk and develop personalised treatment strategies Antibiotics have saved countless lives but their widespread use has led to antibiotic resistance which is increasing throughout the world and threatens our ability to treat dangerous bacterial infections. Despite the significant health and economic burden, little...