Investigating antibiotic-responsive riboswitches in Klebsiella pneumoniae

This thesis explores riboswitches, a type of regulatory RNA, as potential targets for antimicrobial therapies against drug-resistant pathogens. Using high-throughput sequencing techniques, it identified three novel riboswitches in Klebsiella pneumoniae that respond specifically to ampicillin, a beta-lactam antibiotic. These riboswitches regulate gene expression under antibiotic stress, suggesting their role in maintaining bacterial survival. The findings show that riboswitches could serve as promising targets for developing new antimicrobial strategies, addressing the urgent need for alternatives to combat antimicrobial resistance.