Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology
Max von Pettenkofer Institute
LMU Munich
Pettenkoferstr. 9a
80336 München
Helicobacter pylori
Molecular genetics, biochemistry, molecular infection biology. Generation and complementation of bacterial mutants, characterization of strains using infection experiments with cell lines, secretion assays, protein-protein interaction assays, etc.
We are interested in the molecular mechanisms driving assembly of, and effector protein transport through, bacterial type IV secretion systems. We are studying the functional roles of these processes both in delivery of host-interaction factors to eukaryotic target cells, and in horizontal gene transfer between bacterial cells.