Marta Leal

I am a PhD student in Biomedical Sciences – specializing in Microbiology, from Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT-NOVA) since 2022. I concluded my Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences in 2022 in IHMT-NOVA, and have a Licenciate’s degree in Biochemistry from Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT-NOVA), concluded in 2019. Since 2023, I have been carrying my PhD studies under the scope of an FCT doctoral grant (ref. 2023.02437.BD)

My main research interests include the study of efflux-mediated resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and the application of phenotypic methodologies for the evaluation of efflux.

The work that has been developed is part of my PhD Thesis in Biomedical Sciences entitled “Unraveling the efflux-mediated response to antimicrobials in S. pseudintermedius, a major animal pathogen”.

The collection that has been studied consists of S. pseudintermedius strains associated with soft-skin infections in companion animals. The main objectives of this PhD thesis are:

• To screen for efflux activity in reference and clinical strains
• To establish relations between efflux phenotypes and antimicrobial resistance profiles
• To identify putative efflux systems in S. pseudintermedius by an omics approach

1. Leal M, Morais C, Ramos B, Abrantes P, Pomba C, Costa S, Couto I. O impacto do efluxo na suscetibilidade reduzida a biocidas e resistência a fluoroquinolonas em Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Anais do Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, 22 (2) (2024), pp. 87-92. doi: 10.25761/anaisihmt.460
2. Morais C; Costa, S. S, Leal M; Ramos B, Andrade M, Ferreira C, Abrantes P; Pomba C, Couto I. Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius associated with skin and soft-tissue infections in companion animals in Lisbon, Portugal.  Frontiers in Microbiology , 14 (2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1167834
3. Leal M, Morais C, Ramos B, Pomba C, Abrantes P, Costa S. S., Couto I. Exploring efflux as a mechanism of reduced susceptibility towards biocides and fluoroquinolones in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Animals, 13 1270 (2023): 1-20.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071270
4. Costa S. S., Ribeiro R, Serrano M; Oliveira K, Ferreira C, Leal M, Pomba C, Couto I. “Staphylococcus aureus causing skin and soft tissue infections in companion animals: antimicrobial resistance profiles and clonal lineages”. Antibiotics 11 (2022): 1-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11050599