For several years, we have observed the emergence of hypervirulent (hvKp) strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae that have become highly resistant to antibiotics. In a context of dwindling antibiotic options, monoclonal antibodies (Abs) directed against well-conserved capsular antigens of these hvKp strains appear as a promising therapeutic alternative.
This PhD project is structured around three complementary objectives:
1. To describe the circulation of hvKp clones through comparative genomic analysis of strains collected via the French National Reference Center for Antibiotic Resistance and through an international collaboration.
2. To produce and characterize monoclonal Abs directed against the HvKp capsule.
3. To develop a rapid detection tool based on MALDI-TOF profile analysis coupled with machine learning algorithms.