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Microbiology

The VHIR Research Group of Microbiology focuses on studying the microbiological aspects related to infectious diseases with the aim of developing strategies for diagnosing, preventing, and addressing clinical problems. Our work encompasses basic, translational, and clinical research. We have a particular interest in investigating the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, nosocomial infections, viral respiratory diseases, surveillance and characterization of emerging pathogens, viral and fungal infections, sexually transmitted infections, and global health issues. The group is composed of principal investigators who are clinical microbiologists from the Microbiology Department of the Hospital Vall d’Hebron, as well as researchers in training, including pre-doctoral fellows and residents of the Clinical Microbiology Department, along with technical staff. We are members of CIBER (Biomedical Research Networking Center) on Infectious Diseases at the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.

eCORE

  • Global Health
  • Personalized Medicine, Innovative Diagnostics, Molecular Imaging & Digital Health

Team

Group Leader
Juan Jose Gonzalez Lopez

Principal Investigator (PI)
Juan José González-López, Andrés Antón Pagarolas, Joan Joseph Munné, Nieves Larrosa Escartín, Francisco Rodríguez Frías, Tomàs Pumarola, Maria Francesca Cortese, Alba Mir-Cros

Researchers
Albert Moreno Mingorance, Ariadna Rando Segura, Aroa Silgado Giménez, Beatriz Pacín Ruiz, Belén Viñado Pérez, Cristina Andrés Vergés, Elena Sulleiro Igual, Juliana Esperalba Esquerra, Lidia Goterris Bonet, Maria Piñana Moro, María Teresa Martín Gómez, María Teresa Tórtola Fernández, Mayli Lung Suárez, Narcís Saubí Roca, Rosa Maria Bartolomé Comas, Selene Garcia Garcia, Virgínia Rodríguez Garrido, Yannick Hoyos Mallecot

PhD Students
Alejandro Mediavilla Pérez, Alejandra González Sánchez, Carles Rubio Maturana, Daniel Romero Herrero, Jesús Trejo Zahinos, Josep Roca Grande, Maria Arnedo Muñoz, Patricia Martinez Vallejos, Paula Salmerón Menéndez, Guillem Puigsech Boixeda, Marina Vicente Ciurans, Jana Rovira Pluja, Arantxa Pérez Ugarte, Marta Bernat Solé, Patricia Nadal Barón, Saul Levy Blitchtein, Marcos Belsol Alfonso, Ester del Barrio Tofiño, Ignasi Prats Méndez

Lab Technicians
Alisa Davtyan Avetisyan, Eugènia Agustí Carol, Marta Vila Salvador, Rodrigo Vasquez Mercado,

Nursing and Technical Staff
Manuel Solivella Rodríguez, Carla Coll Costa, Olaya López Pérez

Publications

79
Publications
44.3
%Q1
598.38
Impact Factor
7.57
Average Impact Factor

Piñana M, González-Sánchez A, Andrés C, Abanto M, Vila J, Esperalba J, Moral N, Espartosa E, Saubi N, Creus A, Codina MG, Folgueira D, Martinez-Urtaza J, Pumarola T, Antón A
The emergence, impact, and evolution of human metapneumovirus variants from 2014 to 2021 in Spain
J Infect 2023;87(2):103-110
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2023.05.004
IF: 28.2

Chen C-W, Saubi N, Kilpeläinen A, Joseph-Munné J
Chimeric Human Papillomavirus-16 Virus-like Particles Presenting P18I10 and T20 Peptides from HIV-1 Envelope Induce HPV16 and HIV-1-Specific Humoral and T Cell-Mediated Immunity in BALB/c Mice
Vaccines 2023;11(1):15
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010015
IF: 7.8

Moreno-Mingorance A, Mir-Cros A, Goterris L, Rodriguez-Garrido V, Sulleiro E, Barberà MJ, Alberny M, Hoyos-Mallecot Y, Descalzo V, Bravo A, Roca-Grande J, Viñado B, Pumarola T, Larrosa MN, González-López, JJ
Increasing trend of antimicrobial resistance in Shigella associated with MSM transmission in Barcelona, 2020-21: outbreak of XDR Shigella sonnei and dissemination of ESBL-producing Shigella flexneri
J Antimicrob Chemother 2023;78(4):975-982
DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkad031
IF: 5.2

Andrés C, González-Sánchez A, Jiménez M, Márquez-Algaba E, Piñana M, Fernández-Naval C, Esperalba J, Saubi N, Quer J, Rando-Segura A, Miarons M, Codina MG, Ruiz-Camps I, Pumarola T, Abrisqueta P, Antón A
Emergence of Delta and Omicron variants carrying resistance-associated mutations in immunocompromised patients undergoing sotrovimab treatment with long-term viral excretion
Clin Microbiol Infect 2023;29(2):240-246
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.08.021
IF: 14.2

Febrer-Sendra B, Crego-Vicente B, Nindia A, Martínez-Campreciós J, Aixut S, Mediavilla A, Silgado A, Oliveira-Souto I, Salvador F, Molina I, Muro A, Sulleiro E, Fernández-Soto P
First field and laboratory evaluation of LAMP assay for malaria diagnosis in Cubal, Angola
Parasit Vectors 2023;16(1):343
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05942-7
IF: 3.2

Projects

Sistema integral para la vigilancia clínica, epidemiológica y microbiológica (SiVEV/BCN) de la enfermedad asociada a enterovirus en Barcelona ciudad.
Principal Investigator: Andres Antón Pagarolas
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 214,170€
Period: 2023-2025

AMBROSIA: Multiplexed Plasmo-Photonic Biosensing Platform For Rapid And Intelligent Sepsis Diagnosis At The Point-Of-Care
Principal Investigator: Juan José González López
Agency: European Comission
Funding: 269,812 €
Period: 2022-2026

Pre-clinical evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of recombinant BCG expressing SIV:consv in Cynomolgus macaques. A new platform for a bivalent HIV/TB vaccine development
Principal Investigator: Joan Joseph Munné
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 147,620 €
Period: 2021-2023

Caracterización de Neisseria meningitidis tras la introducción de la vacuna frente al serogrupo B e identificación de factores predisponentes para la enfermedad meningocócica invasiva
Principal Investigator: Juan José González-López
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 123,420€
Period: 2022-2024

Vigilancia y control de la infección relacionada con la asistencia sanitaria por bacterias multirresistentes a través de la secuenciación de genomas completos. Proyecto IRAS 2
Principal Investigator: Nieves Larrosa Escartín
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 90,750€
Period: 2022-2024

Patents

REAGENT AND FAST METHODS FOR PATHOGEN CHARACTERIZATION AND SEROLOGY TESTING
Priority Number: EP19382496.8
Priority Date: 13/06/2019
Applicants: 100% FUNDACIÓ HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARI VALL D'HEBRON - INSTITUT DE RECERCA

REAGENT AND FAST METHODS FOR PATHOGEN CHARACTERIZATION AND SEROLOGY TESTING
Priority Number: PCT/EP2020/066292
Priority Date: 12/06/2020
Applicants: 100% FUNDACIÓ HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARI VALL D'HEBRON - INSTITUT DE RECERCA

REAGENT AND FAST METHODS FOR PATHOGEN CHARACTERIZATION AND SEROLOGY TESTING
Priority Number: P5073US00, 17/618,837
Priority Date: 13/12/2021
Applicants: 100% FUNDACIÓ HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARI VALL D'HEBRON - INSTITUT DE RECERCA

VHIR Annual Report 2023