The alarming increase in multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens challenge efficient treatment of common infections. A fundamental understanding of the molecular interactions driving bacterial adhesion to host, and bacterial escape from host immunity, is a key step toward the development of novel antimicrobial therapies.

1. S. aureus virulence factors and their role in adhesion and immune evasion.

We use various approaches to evaluate the adhesive properties of bacterial virulence factors, and have previously shown that S. aureus SdrD specifically with Desmogle...

• Bacterial/viral/fungal molecular epidemiology in association with human health and disease
• Bacterial/viral pathogenicity involved in local and systemic infections, e.g. virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance
• Function of lysosomes in the regulation of inflammation after an infection

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
• Lupus nephritis and the kidney
• Lymphoid organs (spleen, lymph nodes, peyer's patches)
• Tertiar lymphoid strucutures (TLS)
• Autoimmunity