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Teshome Belachew Eshete

Teshome Belachew Eshete

PhD Candidate
Postgraduate Research Student
Medicine & Health School of Optometry and Vision Science

Research Title:ÌýCharacterizing the structure-biological activity relationship of dual-acting antimicrobials as an approach for combating drug resistance by S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

Supervisor:ÌýProfessor Mark Willcox and Professor Naresh Kumar

Co-supervisor:ÌýDr. Rajesh Kuppusamy

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Abstract

The emergence and reemergence of drug-resistant bacteria are a huge threat to the globe, particularly to developing countries. This problem becomes worse since multidrug resistance by both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens is growing. Pathogens can have intrinsic mechanisms of resistance to varied classes of antimicrobial agents, or acquire genes that increase their resistance profiles, or form biofilm (sessile conglomerates of microbes attached to surfaces) that heightened resistance. Resistant microbes such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) and multi-drug resistant P.aeruginosa can cause both hospital-acquired and community acquired infections.

The development of antimicrobial resistance has resulted in the loss of clinical significance of some drugs and inspired research into new ways to design antimicrobial agents that are active against resistant bacteria. In this regard, the combined (semi-synthetic) approach, which is a modification of natural antibiotics by chemical or genetic engineering methods, is considered to be the most promising. Professor Willcox and his colleagues have designed several different dual-acting novel antimicrobial agents and demonstrated that they are active against certain bacteria (Samuel K. Kutty et al., 2015, Shekh Sabir et al., 2021). However, the spectrum of activity of these new compounds has not been systematically evaluated, nor has their mode of action (for example which aspect of the dual system works first).

Biography

I am a medical microbiologist and a current PhD student at UNSW.ÌýOver the last six years, I have been lecturing different courses like Bacteriology, Virology, Public Health Microbiology and Mycology courses to undergraduate, postgraduate, and medical students in Ethiopia. Besides, I have been engaged in research works focusing on phenotypic characterization of bacterial antimicrobial resistance and published more than 14 articles on PubMed and Scopus indexed journals. I have also participated in providing community services to help elderly people by cooperating with colleagues. Our current research project focusses on characterizing the structural-biological relationship of dual acting antimicrobials to combat drug resistance by S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.Ìý

Education

Current PhD Student in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences (UNSW) since 11 Sep 2023

MSc in Medical Microbiology (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia 2017)

BSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences (University of Gondar, Ethiopia, 2013)

Affiliation and Memberships

Member of Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Lifetime Member of Red-cross Society, Ethiopia

Member of Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Association (EMLA)

Member of Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA)
Email

t.eshete@unsw.edu.au

    1. Belachew T, Yaheya S, Tilahun N, Gebrie E, Seid R, Nega T, Biset S. Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome and Associated Factors at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: A Ten-Year Retrospective Study. Infect Drug Resist. 2022 Jun 3; 15:2891-2899. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S365394. PMID: 35686191; PMCID: PMC9172731.
    2. Belachew T, Assefa M, Tefera Z, Fenta A, Biset S. Colonization Rate and Associated Factors of Non-PathogenicÌýNeisseriaÌýSpecies, andÌýMoraxella catarrhalisÌýAmong Healthy School Children in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Infect Drug Resist. 2023 Jan 22; 16:369-378. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S395343. PMID: 36714354; PMCID: PMC9879043.
    3. Yohannes H, Belachew T, Assefa M, Getaneh E, Zeray H, Kegne A, Angawu S, Belay G, Biset S, Tigabu A. Pathogenic bacteria recovered from Gene X-pert tuberculosis-negative adult patients in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Pulm Med. 2023 Jun 6;23(1):197. doi: 10.1186/s12890-023-02500-w. PMID: 37280538; PMCID: PMC10246094.
    4. Tigabie M, Biset S, Belachew T, Amare A, Moges F. Multidrug-resistant and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated from chicken droppings in poultry farms at Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2023 Jun 9;18(6): e0287043. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287043. PMID: 37294782; PMCID: PMC10256222.
    5. Assefa M, Tigabu A, Belachew T, Tessema B. Bacterial profile, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of community-acquired pneumonia among adult patients in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2022 Feb 1;17(2):e0262956. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262956. PMID: 35104293; PMCID: PMC8806065.
    6. Jemal M, Deress T, Belachew T, Adem Y. Prevalence of Cryptococcal Antigenemia and Associated Factors among HIV/AIDS Patients at Felege-Hiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia. Int J Microbiol. 2021 Jan 18; 2021:8839238. doi: 10.1155/2021/8839238. PMID: 33531906; PMCID: PMC7834773.
    7. Jemal M, Deress T, Belachew T, Adem Y. Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Bacterial Isolates from Blood Culture among HIV/AIDS Patients at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Int J Microbiol. 2020 Oct 19; 2020:8893266. doi: 10.1155/2020/8893266. PMID: 33133192; PMCID: PMC7593716.
    8. Fenta A, Dagnew M, Eshetie S, Belachew T. Bacterial profile, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and associated risk factors of urinary tract infection among clinically suspected children attending at Felege-Hiwot comprehensive and specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A prospective study. BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Sep 16;20(1):673. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05402-y. PMID: 32938424; PMCID: PMC7493977.
    9. Tefera Z, Mekonnen F, Tiruneh M, Belachew T. Carriage rate of Neisseria meningitidis, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and associated risk factors among primary school children in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Infect Dis. 2020 May 20;20(1):358. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05080-w. PMID: 32434569; PMCID: PMC7238561.
    10. Belachew T Million Y, Desta K. High level of drug resistance by gram-negative bacteria from selected sewage polluted urban rivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes. 2018 Jul 31;11(1):524. doi: 10.1186/s13104-018-3622-0. PMID: 30064483; PMCID: PMC6069984.
    1. High Level of drug resistance by Gram-negative bacteria from sewage polluted urban rivers, Addis Ababa Ethiopia (March 24-25, 2017, at Debre Markos University, Ethiopia).
    2. Prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia and associated risk factors among HIV/AIDS patients at Felege-Hiwot Referral hospital, Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia (May 23–24, 2019 at Hawassa University, Ethiopia).
    3. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment outcome and associated factors among patients treated at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital: A Ten-year retrospective study (from July 28-30, 2022, joint international conference organized by Amhara Public Health Institute (APHI) and Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia).

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