Research
At the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene (IMMIH), we conduct research in the fields of infection biology, (infection)immunology and antimicrobial resistance. Our work shall lead to better mechanistic understanding of infection and immunity as well as new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for infectious diseases.
In detail, we are working on
- deciphering the interaction between the tissue microenvironment, the invading pathogen, and the immune response in infections (Jantsch Lab),
- elucidating the mechanisms of physiological and pathological antimicrobial immune responses (Utermöhlen Lab),
- unraveling adaptive evolution, mechanisms of persistence, and new antimicrobial strategies in multidrug-resistant infections (Ernst Lab),
- uncovering the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance by tracking bacterial isolates to understand their transmission, and the movement of mobile genetic elements in a One-Health approach (Higgins Lab),
- development of innovative therapeutics against multidrug-resistant bacteria from preclinical characterization through clinical development (Krönke Lab), and
- novel diagnostics for rapid point-of-care detection of antibiotic-resistant or virulent microbes (Klimka Lab).
The research groups receive funding from German Research Foundation (DFG), German Center of Infection Research (DZIF), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), and Medical Faculty, University of Cologne.