Priority Research Area Infections
Cellular Microbiology
Mission 
Projects Funding Techniques Publications Staff
Mission
Tuberculosis (TB) is the most important human bacterial infection of humans worldwide topping the pathogen list with antimicrobial resistances. Its agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a facultative intracellular pathogen able to survive and proliferate inside host phagocytes such as macrophages and neutrophils. In the context of pulmonary infections, we also study microbiota functions and resilience, as well as the pathobiology of the emerging pathobiont, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, in mixed fungal and bacterial biofilms. We hypothesize, that a pathogen's host niche determines its fate, transmission, innate and acquired immune responses and pathogenesis as well as post infection disease, and ultimately, anti-bacterial drug efficacy. Therefore, we study host-pathogen interactions in lung infections, in order to improve prophylaxis, to develop novel treatments including nanomedicines and biomarker-informed host-directed therapies, and to prevent long-term disease.