Navigation und Service

Unit Diagnostics, Genetics and Pathogen Characterisation

One main task of this Unit is the assessment of risks from so-called zoonotic agents which are of importance for human health. Special attention is paid to bacterial and parasitic pathogens which can be transmitted via foods of animal origin to humans. In this context work is done on pathogen-host interactions under experimental conditions and special questions on diagnostics, epidemiology and resistance development are addressed. This work includes the assessment of risks from genetically modified organisms. Genetic modifications may lead, for instance, to modifications of virulence and pathogenicity factors and, by extension, to a classification of a pathogen in a higher risk category. Naturally occurring modifications (changes in pathogens) may lead to novel pathogens that are deemed to constitute a higher risk.

Another main area is the typing and fine differentiation of special pathogens in safety levels 2 and 3 with the goal of examining potential sources of infection for man. To this end bacteriological, parasitological, serological and molecular biological detection methods are used. The laboratory tests are carried out under accredited conditions in accordance with generally recognised quality standards (ISO 17025).

The National Reference Laboratory for Trichinellosis is attached to this Unit. The foundation for its work is EU Directive 2003/99/EC on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents. Besides carrying out the routine tasks of a reference laboratory it is also engaged in various activities in national, European and international research programmes with partner institutes, universities and laboratory institutions.

Main areas of work:

• Diagnosis and fine differentiation of bacterial and parasitic pathogens using phenotypic, serological and molecular-biological methods
• Food-associated parasitoses, National Reference Laboratory for Trichinellosis
• Development and validation of methods for pathogen isolation and typing
• Examination of pathogen-host interactions using the animal experiment model
• Mechanisms and effects of the horizontal gene transfer on the development of novel food-relevant zoonotic agents
• Molecular mechanisms and importance of transduction for horizontal gene transfer (particularly of the bacteriophages of food relevant pathogens)
• Importance of conjugative systems for the spread of resistance and virulence factors
• Molecular genetic characterisation of bacterial genomes and plasmids of pathogenic variants and related environmental isolates, analysis of genomic islands

Up