Category Research project
  • Mikrobiologie

NICE - NIche of Campylobacter in the water Environment

Project status
In Progress
Project start
Jan 2026
Project end
Dec 2028
Acronym
NICE
Department
Biologische Sicherheit
Website
https://www.bfr.bund.de/ueber-uns/einrichtungen-am-bfr/referenzlaboratorien/nrl-campylobacter/

Description and Objective

Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. are the most common bacterial pathogens causing foodborne infections worldwide and are classified as priority antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The joint project NICE brings together three public health partners with a university partner, thus linking the disciplines of environmental science, food science, veterinary medicine, and human medicine. The focus is on the cross-sectoral reassessment of the aquatic habitat in the environment as a place of survival and transmission for Campylobacter spp. using innovative tools. C. spp. do not reproduce outside the host and are difficult to cultivate. This suggests that the aquatic habitat for thermotolerant C. spp. is currently underestimated. The project focuses on urban waters (sewage, heavy rain and flood water, TP1 in cooperation with all subprojects) and waters in agricultural areas with poultry farming (TP2), including the occurrence of pathogens, especially during heavy rain and flooding. Dual diagnostics using microbial and culture-independent methods and whole genome sequence analyses of water isolates are used (TP1-4). This is important in order to determine the significance of C. spp. in water for the (re)colonization of poultry or for human infection.
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Research focus

Gesundheit von Mensch, Tier und Umwelt (One Health)

Organisational units and partners

Lead specialist group: Lebensmittelmikrobiologie, Erreger-Wirt-Interaktionen (42) External partner: Umweltbundesamt , Freie Universität Berlin, Robert Koch-Institut

Funding body and grant number

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
01KI2524

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