The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond

Human microbiota, influenced by factors like geography and lifestyle, significantly contributes to immune responses. Despite its importance in respiratory health, respiratory microbiota remains understudied, with research primarily focused on Europe, North America, and East Asia. To address this gap...

وصف كامل

محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Massoud, Afifeh (author)
التنسيق: masterThesis
منشور في: 2025
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17215
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.823
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
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author Massoud, Afifeh
author_facet Massoud, Afifeh
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Massoud, Afifeh
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-08-29T06:51:38Z
2025-08-29T06:51:38Z
2025
2025-06-24
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17215
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.823
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Thesis
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis
description Human microbiota, influenced by factors like geography and lifestyle, significantly contributes to immune responses. Despite its importance in respiratory health, respiratory microbiota remains understudied, with research primarily focused on Europe, North America, and East Asia. To address this gap, this study establishes the core natural microflora of the respiratory tract in Lebanon, an understudied population. Nasal swab samples were collected from Lebanese individuals and 16S rRNA targeted metagenomic sequencing was performed to characterize the core respiratory microbiota and compared it to other populations. Results revealed a diverse bacterial community in the upper respiratory tract, with Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus being the dominant genera. Additionally, the study conducts an in-depth genomic analysis of bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with respiratory tract infections, focusing on Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains. Genomic, biochemical, and microbial analyses were performed. These strains exhibited multidrug resistance in a clinical setting, which was confirmed by genomic analysis, that also revealed virulence factors, with evidence of horizontal gene transfer. In conclusion, this pilot study provides a first glimpse into the respiratory microbiota and a deeper glance into antibiotic resistance of emerging pathogens in Lebanon, marking a foundational step toward tailoring therapeutic strategies to the specific needs of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean populations and advancing the understanding of the respiratory micro-community in the region while contributing to global efforts to uncover the lifestyle of superbugs in a world threatened by antimicrobial resistance.
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oai_identifier_str oai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/17215
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publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
repository.name.fl_str_mv
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spelling The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and BeyondMassoud, AfifehHuman microbiota, influenced by factors like geography and lifestyle, significantly contributes to immune responses. Despite its importance in respiratory health, respiratory microbiota remains understudied, with research primarily focused on Europe, North America, and East Asia. To address this gap, this study establishes the core natural microflora of the respiratory tract in Lebanon, an understudied population. Nasal swab samples were collected from Lebanese individuals and 16S rRNA targeted metagenomic sequencing was performed to characterize the core respiratory microbiota and compared it to other populations. Results revealed a diverse bacterial community in the upper respiratory tract, with Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus being the dominant genera. Additionally, the study conducts an in-depth genomic analysis of bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with respiratory tract infections, focusing on Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains. Genomic, biochemical, and microbial analyses were performed. These strains exhibited multidrug resistance in a clinical setting, which was confirmed by genomic analysis, that also revealed virulence factors, with evidence of horizontal gene transfer. In conclusion, this pilot study provides a first glimpse into the respiratory microbiota and a deeper glance into antibiotic resistance of emerging pathogens in Lebanon, marking a foundational step toward tailoring therapeutic strategies to the specific needs of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean populations and advancing the understanding of the respiratory micro-community in the region while contributing to global efforts to uncover the lifestyle of superbugs in a world threatened by antimicrobial resistance.Lebanese American University2025-08-29T06:51:38Z2025-08-29T06:51:38Z20252025-06-24Thesisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesishttp://hdl.handle.net/10725/17215https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.823http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.phpeninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/172152025-08-29T07:04:40Z
spellingShingle The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
Massoud, Afifeh
status_str publishedVersion
title The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
title_full The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
title_fullStr The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
title_full_unstemmed The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
title_short The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
title_sort The Natural and Pathogenic Respiratory Tract Microbiota in Lebanon: Metagenomics and Beyond
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17215
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.823
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php