UNLOCKING-QS addresses one of the main threats to health: antimicrobial resistance (AMR) linked to infectious diseases.

The lack of effective diagnostics is a key factor driving AMR, as broad-spectrum antibiotics are often prescribed without identifying the pathogen. This project proposes a new generation of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting bacterial quorum sensing (QS), a sophisticated communication system that uses chemical signals (QSsm) to maintain community life and synchronize behavior to develop pathogenesis.

QSsm could act as infection biomarkers, and blocking them would allow for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. These hypotheses have been partially demonstrated in previous research by the group, and UNLOCKING-QS seeks to consolidate these results by measuring the QS footprint (QSome) in prospective biological samples, as well as exploring the therapeutic potential of antibodies targeting QSsm as QS disruptors.