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Biography

Dr. Marta Martins has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, specialisation of Microbiology, conferred by the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, New University of Lisbon (IHMT/UNL), Lisbon, Portugal. Currently, her research addresses the study of antibiotic resistance in bacteria of public health importance, along with aspects of the infection biology, using a combination of classical microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology and functional genomic techniques. She is mainly interested in the way that bacteria adapt to certain environments and respond to the stresses encountered, focusing on the bacteria physiological and molecular mechanisms. In the last few years she has published several book chapters addressing this subject. She is also a member of the European network in antibiotic resistance, COST Action- Antibiotic transport & efflux: new strategies to combat bacterial resistance. She is currently a reviewer, by invitation, of manuscripts submitted for publication to Immunotherapy; Biochemistry and Pharmacology; The Open Microbiology Journal; European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, being also a member of the Editorial Board of Conference Papers in Microbiology and a Guest Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology.

Research Tags

Alternative therapies Antimicrobial resistance Applied and Environmental microbiology Bacterial pathogenicity Bacteriology and bacterial pathogenesis Biomedical sciences Clinical research, trials Diagnostics Drug discovery, profiling, targeting Host, Pathogen interactions Immune system Immunomodulation In vitro testing, trial methods Macrophage infection Multidrug Resistance Tuberculosis

Research Projects

Project Title

TRINITY - Tackling antibiotic Resistance IN Intracellular Salmonella using Thioridazine

From

2017

2021

Summary

The worldwide occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and the lack of new antibiotics is jeopardising our ability to treat infections. This triggered the search for novel molecules as well as for the repurposing of existing drugs. One of these compounds, Thioridazine, with activity reported against Mycobacterium tuberculosis will be studied to elucidate its mechanism of action using Salmonella as a model of infection, focusing on its effects on the infected host cells.

Funding Agency

Welcome Trust

Programme

ISSF funding

Project Type

Research

Project Title

Unravelling food derived bioactive peptides with dual functionality of antimicrobial and immunomodulating capabilities

From

2015

2019

Summary

In this project we used a computational data-mining and feature based approach to unravel the abundance of unexplored peptides from nature and to identify potent, novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from phyto-proteins. We explored Pisum sativum hydrolysed (PSH) protein and evaluated its potential as a bio-preservative. As the "clean label" revolution takes hold, paired with increased consumer demand for natural products, alternative preserving solutions are needed to maintain food safety and limit spoilage. PSH offers an attractive plant-based solution, capable of reducing disease causing pathogens while being economically viable, and environmentally friendly. Expanding on the potential of the PSH, we identified NuriPep 1653, an individual peptide component of the hydrolysate with remarkable antimicrobial activity. AMPs are an integral part of every species contributing to host defence and have been lauded as contenders in combatting the antibiotic crisis. Despite immense scientific efforts to bring antibiotic alternatives to the market, very few have been approved for market sale as they have yet to surpass the activity of traditional therapies. Paired with the reluctance from the pharmaceutical industry to financially support antimicrobial research, this means that the need for novel antimicrobial compounds has never been greater. We have explored the therapeutic potential of NuriPep 1653 against clinically relevant pathogens and highlighted its appeal for the pharmaceutical sector given its limited propensity for inducing resistance, rapid kill kinetics, non-toxic nature, ability to reverse resistance and synergise with conventional antibiotic therapies. Moreover, NuriPep 1653 reduced the activation of pathways and cytokines associated with pro-inflammatory response indicating its abilities to modulate the host immune response. This vastly expands the therapeutic potential of the peptide. Overall, we were able to use a novel discovery approach to identify AMPs encrypted within phyto-proteins. Through PSH and NuriPep 1653, we hope to expand on the current knowledge related to protein hydrolysates and AMPs and inch closer to providing novel antimicrobial solutions across the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Funding Agency

Irish Research Council (IRC)

Programme

Employment based programme

Project Type

Research

Representations

Details	Date
ESCMID Database of Trusted Reviewers as Research Grant Reviewer of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).	2014-

Languages

Language	Skill Reading	Skill Writing	Skill Speaking
English	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent
French	Medium	Basic	Medium
Italian	Medium	Basic	Medium
Portuguese	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent
Spanish	Medium	Basic	Medium

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Details	Date From	Date To
American Society of Microbiology (ASM)	2007
Society for Applied Microbiology (sfam)	2011
International Association for Food Protection (IAFP)	2011
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)	2013
Society for General Microbiology (SGM)	2013

Publications and other Research Outputs

Niamh Mohan, Unravelling a food derived bioactive peptide with dual functionality of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory capabilities, Trinity College Dublin, 2020, Thesis, PUBLISHED

Mohan NM, Zorgani A, Jalowicki G, Kerr A, Khaldi N, Martins M., Unlocking NuriPep 1653 From Common Pea Protein: A Potent Antimicrobial Peptide to Tackle a Pan-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii., Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, (2086), 2019, p1 - 16, Notes: [ https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02086], Journal Article, PUBLISHED DOI

McCusker MP, Ferreira DA, Cooney D, Alves BM, Fanning S, Pagès JM, Martins M*, Davin-Regli A, Modulation of antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of Enterobacter aerogenes - a strategy combining antibiotics and chemosensitisers, Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 16, 2019, p187 - 198, Notes: [doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2018.10.009], Journal Article, PUBLISHED DOI

Anes J, Martins M, Fanning S, Reversing Antimicrobial Resistance in Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae of Clinical Origin Using 1-(1-Naphthylmethyl)-Piperazine, Microbial Drug Resistance, 24, (10), 2018, phttp://doi.org/10.1089/mdr.201 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED DOI

Machado D, Antunes J, Simões A, Perdigão J, Couto I, McCusker M, Martins M, Portugal I, Pacheco T, Batista J, Toscano C, Viveiros , Contribution of efflux to colistin heteroresistance in a multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolate, Journal of Medical Microbiology, 67, (6), 2018, p740 - 749, Journal Article, PUBLISHED

D. Alves Ferreira, D. Luís, L.M.D.R.S. Martins, A. R. Fernandes and M. Martins. , Drug repurposing of zinc and cobalt organometallic compounds to uncover effective antibacterials., ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance, Lisbon, Portugal, 4-7 September, 2018, Poster, PUBLISHED

D. A. Ferreira, D. Luís, L. M.D.R.S. Martins, A. R. Fernandes, and M. Martins, Drug repurposing of zinc and cobalt organometallic compounds to uncover effective antibacterials, ECCMID, Madrid, Spain, 21-24 April, 2018, Poster, PUBLISHED

D. Alves Ferreira and M. Martins. , New tricks for old drugs - Uncovering the mechanism of action of thioridazine in Salmonella Typhimurium, ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance, Lisbon, Portugal, 4-7 September, 2018, Poster, PUBLISHED

D.Machado, J. Antunes, A. Simões, J. Perdigão, I. Couto, M. P. McCusker, M. Martins, I.Portugal, T. Pacheco, J. Batista, C. Toscano, and M.Viveiros. , Contribution of efflux to colistin heteroresistance in a multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolate., ECCMID, Madrid, Spain, 21-24 April, 2018, Poster, PUBLISHED

Baptista PV, McCusker MP, Carvalho A, Ferreira DA, Mohan NM, Martins M*, Fernandes AR*, Nano-Strategies to Fight Multidrug Resistant Bacteria - "A Battle of the Titans", Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 2018, p1441 - 1468, Review Article, PUBLISHED DOI

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Awards and Honours

Award	Date
Provost's PhD Award, Trinity College Dublin	2020
Society for General Microbiology Travel Grant	2014
Newman Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Food Safety; Vétoquinol SA	2013-2015
Short Term Scientific Mission grant, COST scientific programme on Antibiotic Transport and Efflux: New Strategies to combat bacterial resistance (ATENS).	2009
ASM Student and Post Doctoral Fellow Travel Grant.	2007
PhD fellowship grant awarded by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal.	2004-2008

Research Interests

Description Of Research Interests

Dr. Martins is interested in the way that bacteria adapt to certain environments and respond to the stresses encountered, focusing on the bacteria physiological and molecular mechanisms. An area of interest is the way that certain bacteria (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis) are able to manipulate the host, such as the macrophage. Her main interests reside on the use of alternative therapies to treat multidrug resistant bacteria as well as the use of compounds to activate the infected host.

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

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Dr. Marta Martins