"We address how enteric bacteria differ from harmless colonizers of our gut and how they promote intestinal infections and cause disease. I am particularly fascinated by the complex regulatory mechanisms how they trigger and control this process“. 

Gastrointestinal pathogens are still a leading cause of infections with high morbidity and death worldwide. Among them are enteric Yersinia, E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella species. Their primary route of transmission from animals to humans is through contaminated food. They trigger an impressive range of different intestinal disorders from diarrhoea to acute infections of the small and large intestines – at times with severe consequences!

We study the ways in which these bacteria adhere to the intestinal epithelium, penetrate it, and ultimately spread within the host and cause acute and persistent infections. In this context, we investigate the function and regulation of virulence factors implicated in host tissue colonization and immune evasion to identify new therapeutic approaches to outflank the elaborate strategies of these microbes (see Research).

Prof. Dr. Petra Dersch
ZMBE
Von-Esmarch-Straße 56
D-48149 Münster
phone +49 251 835-6466 / Fax -6467
e-mail: petra.dersch at uni-muenster.de