Bacterial Evolution and Disease (BadBugs)

Research within bacterial genome dynamics linked to pathogenicity and disease, biofilm formation, development of novel antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance.

Image may contain: Product, Human body, Ferris wheel, Water, Font.

Genome circle: Read et al. Nature 2003 423(6935):81-6. doi: 10.1038/nature01586. EM: Toril Lindbäck.

Our group is focusing on the role of the dynamics observed in bacterial genomes in: influencing microbial population structures and phylogeny, affecting the ability of bacteria to cause human disease, and in contributing to the development of resistance to antimicrobials. We have for a number of years been studying the Bacillus cereus group of bacteria, which contain the pathogenic Bacilli, to delineate what principally separates an opportunistic pathogen (B. cereus sensu stricto) and a commercially widely employed biological insecticidal species (B. thuringiensis), from the obligate human pathogen B. anthracis, a select agent and the cause of the acute human disease anthrax. Recent projects in the group include molecular regulation of biofilm formation, research on various novel anti-biofilm agents, the role of extracellular membrane vesicles in antimicrobial resistance, and development of novel metallo-beta-lactamase inhibitor compounds targeted against highly relevant Gram-negative multiresistant bacterial pathogens (in collaboration with industrial partners).

Image of pharm-micro (May 2022), eight of which belonging to the Bacterial Evolution and Disease group

Members of pharm-micro outside the Blindern campus ZEB building, nine of which belong to or are affiliated with the Bacterial Evolution and Disease (BadBugs) research group.