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Investigation

Medical Entomology

Research Lines

Content with Investigacion Neisseria, Listeria y Bordetella .

Neisseria, Listeria y Bordetella

• Invasive Meningococcal Disease.

o Laboratory surveillance based on whole-genome sequencing and its application in Public Health.

o Study and characterization of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

o Study and evaluation of conventional (polysaccharide) and new-generation (protein) vaccines.

• Gonococcal Infection (Gonorrhea).

o Laboratory surveillance based on whole-genome sequencing and its application in Public Health.

o Study and characterization of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

• Listeriosis.

o Laboratory surveillance based on whole-genome sequencing and its application in Public Health.

• Pertussis.

o Development and application of molecular techniques for the diagnosis and characterization of Bordetella pertussis, B. parapertussis, B. holmessi, and B. bronchiseptica.

Research projects

Content with Investigacion Entomología Médica .

CURRENT PROJECTS

Project title: "Biochemical and functional characterisation of salivary proteins of Phlebotomus perniciosus and their role in infection by Leishmania infantum (PERNIPROT)"
Reference: Project PID2023-147773NA-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, EU.
Start date: 01/09/2024
End date: 31/08/2028
Funding: €175,000
Principal investigator: Inés Elena Martín Martín. 
Funding agency: Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Proyecto de Generación del Conocimiento 2023).


 

Project title: "Surveillance of leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid from a “One Health” perspective: study of the infectious capacity of patients with visceral leishmaniasis and their role as reservoirs"
Reference: PI24CIII/00026
Start date: 01/01/2025
End date: 31/12/2027
Funding: €60,000.00
Principal investigator: Inés Elena Martín Martín. 
Co-principal investigator: Maribel Jiménez Alonso
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Strategic Action in Intramural Health, AESI). 

Service Contract: "Analysis for the surveillance of the vector and wild reservoirs that transmit leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid"
Reference: file no. 17/2024 (A/SER-008455/2024).
Start date: 26/06/2024
End date: 10/12/25, extendable to 2026
Total funding: €171,084
Principal Investigator: Maribel Jiménez Alonso
Funding agency: Service Contract between the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the Directorate-General for Public Health, Regional Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid 

Project Title: CIBERINFEC Research Group (CB21/13/00110)
Start date: 2021
End date: currently active
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mª Paz Sánchez-Seco, Arbovirus and Imported Viral Diseases Unit. 
Researchers from the Medical Entomology Laboratory: Maribel Jiménez (member), Inés Martín Martín (collaborator).
Funding: €108,134. File number: CB21/13/00110.
Funding agency: Consortium Centre for Biomedical Research in NETWORK (CIBER)


 

PAST PROJECTS

Service Contract: "Evaluation of the anti-leishmania effect of the bacteria Tc1 and its derivatives in the intravectorial cycle"
Reference: ISCIII-06896
Start date: 15/12/2022
End date: 15/04/2025
Funding: €71,265.67
Principal Investigator: Inés Elena Martín Martín
Funding agency: Service Contract between the company GlaxoSmithKline R&D (GSK) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Service Contract: "Analysis for the surveillance of the vector and wild reservoirs that transmit leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid"
Reference: 59/2020 (A/SER-040739/2020)
Start date: 10/12/2021
End date: 10/12/2023.   
Funding: €42,612.17 per year   Total 2021-2023: €127,836.51
Principal Investigators: Ricardo Molina /Maribel Jiménez Alonso
Funding agency: Service contract between the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and the Directorate-General for Public Health, Regional Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid

Project title: "Research and Integrated Surveillance of Emerging Arboviruses West Nile, Toscana and Dengue in some areas of Spain"
Reference: PI19CIII/00014
Start date: 2020
End date: 2022
Principal Investigator: Ana Vázquez González
Co-Principal Investigator: Ricardo Molina
Funding: €60,000.00
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Strategic Action in Intramural Health, AESI).

Project title: "Characterisation of the concept of ‘asymptomatic carrier’ in leishmaniasis: implications for treatment".
Start date: 01/01/2015
End date: 31/12/2017
Principal investigators: Javier Moreno and Javier García
Funding: €159,940
Funding agency: Study Agreement between Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), the Spanish Foundation for International Cooperation, Health and Social Policy (FCSAI) and Fuenlabrada Hospital. Subcontractor: ISCIII Medical Entomology Unit (Maribel Jiménez and Ricardo Molina).

Project title: "Biology and control of vector-borne infections in Europe (EDENext Collaborative Project): Sandfly-borne diseases".  
Reference: Subproject (PBD) (EU, FP7-HEALTH-2010-single-stage, contract No. 261504).
Start date: 2011
End date: 2014
Principal investigator: Ricardo Molina     General coordinator: Petr Volf
Funding: €140,000
Funding agency: EU-FP7

Project Title: "Phlebotomus perniciosus saliva as a source in the search for potential targets for the development of vaccines against Leishmania infantum"
Reference: AGL2008-01592/GAN (MICINN)
Start date: 2009
End date: 2011
Principal investigator: Ricardo Molina
Funding: €70,180
Funding agency: Ministry of Science and Innovation

Publications

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Roles of the multiplex real-time PCR assay and β-D-glucan in a high-risk population for intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC)

Fortún J, Buitrago MJ, Gioia F, Gómez-Gª de la Pedrosa E, Alvarez ME, Martín-Dávila P, Pintado V, Cobeta P, Martinez-Castro N, Soriano C, Moreno I, Corral S, Muñoz P, Moreno-Jimenez G, Cuenca-Estrella M, Moreno-Guillen S. Med Mycol. 2020 Aug 1;58(6):789-796.

PUBMED DOI

African histoplasmosis: new clinical and microbiological insights

Valero C; Gago S; Monteiro MC; Alastruey-Izquierdo A; Buitrago MJ. Med Mycol. 2018 Jan 1; 56(1):51-59.

PUBMED DOI

New Panfungal Real-Time PCR Assay for Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections. Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Valero C; L de la Cruz Villar; Ó Zaragoza; M J Buitrago. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 54-12, pp. 2910 - 2918. 12/2016.

PUBMED DOI

Usefulness of techniques based on real time PCR for the identification of onychomycosis-causing species

Hafirassou AZ, Valero C, Gassem N, Mihoubi I, Buitrago MJ. Mycoses. 2017 Oct;60(10):638-644. doi: 10.1111/myc.12629. Epub 2017 May 16.

PUBMED DOI

Content with Investigacion Entomología Médica .

List of staff

Additional Information

The Medical Entomology Laboratory has accumulated extensive experience in this field, especially in entomological field studies, biology of arthropods of medical interest, vector competence and vector control. Also, in the molecular detection of Leishmania infantum promastigotes in naturally parasitized phlebotomine sand flies, in the molecular identification of blood ingested by hematophagous arthropods and in the study of the immunomodulatory properties of proteins present in the saliva of phlebotomine sand flies and mosquitoes. Our laboratory is currently co-leading the studies of vectors and wild reservoirs of leishmaniasis in the leishmaniasis focus of Fuenlabrada, Madrid. In this sense, we have studied the role of asymptomatic individuals as reservoirs in the outbreak by xenodiagnosis. On the other hand, we have participated since 2007 in the Entomological Surveillance Program in Airports and Ports against Potential Vectors of Exotic Infectious Diseases, a program that is allowing to develop the expansion map in Spain of Aedes albopictus. In 2016-2017, we carried out surveillance of Ae. albopictus in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha. On the other hand, we conducted studies on the role of patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in the transmission of the parasite in Bangladesh and Sudan. In addition, we participate in research studying ticks transmitting Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Spain.

Currently, it maintains confidentiality agreements with several companies participating in the evaluation of molecules with activity against pathogens in vectors (GSK), in the development of vector traps using artificial intelligence algorithms (Irideon, Spain), and in the evaluation of repellents against phlebotomine sand flies (IRSEA, France).

The laboratory actively participates in outreach activities such as the Science Week or the European Researchers' Night, among others, making medical entomology science available to the general population.

The Medical Entomology Laboratory has accumulated extensive experience in this field, especially in entomological field studies, biology of arthropods of medical interest, vector competence and vector control. Also, in the molecular detection of Leishmania infantum promastigotes in naturally parasitized phlebotomine sand flies, in the molecular identification of blood ingested by hematophagous arthropods and in the study of the immunomodulatory properties of proteins present in the saliva of phlebotomine sand flies and mosquitoes. Our laboratory is currently co-leading the studies of vectors and wild reservoirs of leishmaniasis in the leishmaniasis focus of Fuenlabrada, Madrid. In this sense, we have studied the role of asymptomatic individuals as reservoirs in the outbreak by xenodiagnosis. On the other hand, we have participated since 2007 in the Entomological Surveillance Program in Airports and Ports against Potential Vectors of Exotic Infectious Diseases, a program that is allowing to develop the expansion map in Spain of Aedes albopictus. In 2016-2017, we carried out surveillance of Ae. albopictus in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha. On the other hand, we conducted studies on the role of patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in the transmission of the parasite in Bangladesh and Sudan. In addition, we participate in research studying ticks transmitting Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Spain.

Currently, it maintains confidentiality agreements with several companies participating in the evaluation of molecules with activity against pathogens in vectors (GSK), in the development of vector traps using artificial intelligence algorithms (Irideon, Spain), and in the evaluation of repellents against phlebotomine sand flies (IRSEA, France).

The laboratory actively participates in outreach activities such as the Science Week or the European Researchers' Night, among others, making medical entomology science available to the general population.

Content with Investigacion Entomología Médica .