Maite Sainz-Mejías
ESR 12
Project: Optimisation of adjuvants for therapeutic vaccinations against respiratory infections
Organisation/Institute: University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Siobhán McClean
I completed my BSc in Biotechnology Engineering at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (TEC), carrying out my undergraduate thesis at Navarrabiomed Biomedical Research Center in Pamplona, Spain. I searched for possible protein partners that interact with GdpS, a Staphylococcus aureus protein, for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the biofilm formation capacity of this pathogen.
My passion for molecular biology and microbiology led me to do a Master in Health Science Research at the Public University of Navarra, where I focused my study in the effects of the cyclic nucleotide, c-di-GMP, on Staphylococcus aureus biology.
The projects I carried out in Spain inspired me to continue in the field of antibiotic resistance research. My interests are now focused on the study of the host immune response and its optimization. I want to direct my work towards the discovery of novel effective adjuvants and antigens for the development of therapeutic vaccines against chronic infections, mainly those caused by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.