Pathogenic Bacteria

PI: PD Dr. Sabine Gronow

Pathogenic bacteria are of major interest for many research projects as well as for standard applications. Not only Type strains of a large variety of species are available in this part of the collection but also rather extensive groups of strains for selected species.
Research is centered on comparative analyses to describe newly found pathogens of yet unknown species. Here, the large diversity of Type strains already present in the collection provides the background for comprehensive studies.
On larger collections of isolates of one species but from different sources we carry out studies such as antibiotic susceptibility tests or PCR reactions to check for specific genes (e.g. toxins, resistance factors). Isolates from clinical collections are used to perform population genomics and epidemiological studies. Especially multiresistant strains are important as targets for studies involving new potential antimicrobial substances or bacteriophages.
Additionally, the Pathogen Repository of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) is hosted by the DSMZ and is closely collaborating with the collection of pathogenic bacteria.

Selected References

1. Schmidt Garcia Moreira, GM, Gronow S, Dübel D, Mendonca, M, Nunes Moreira, A, Rochedo Conceicao, F, Hust, M. Phage Display-Derived Monoclonal Antibodies Against Internalins A and B Allow Specific Detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Front Public Health. 2022 March15; 10:712657. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.712657.
2. Moreira DMSG, Köllner SMS, Helmsing S, Jänsch L, Meier A, Gronow S, Boedeker C, Dübel S, Mendonça M, Moreira ÂN, Conceição FR, Hust M. Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-enzyme 2, a new target for Listeria spp. detection identified using combined phage display technologies. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):15267
3. Hördt A, Garcia-López M, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Schleuning M, Weinhold LM, Tindall BJ, Gronow S, Kyrpides NC, Woyke T, Göker M. Analysis of 1,000+ Type-Strain Genomes Substantially Improves Taxonomic Classification of Alphaproteobacteria. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:468
4. Eisenberg T, Gronow S, Falgenhauer J, Imirzalioglu C, Mühldorfer K, Rau J, Blom J, Fawzy A, Glaeser SP, Kämpfer P. Sneathia vaginalis sp. nov. ( Fusobacteriales, Leptotrichiaceae) as a replacement of the species 'Sneathia amnii' Harwich et al. 2012 and 'Leptotrichia amnionii' Shukla et al. 2002, and emended description of Sneathia Collins et al. 2001. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2019:71(3)
5. Hallmaier-Wacker LK, Lüert S, Gronow S, Spröer C, Overmann J, Buller N, Vaughan-Higgins RJ, Knauf S. A Metataxonomic Tool to Investigate the Diversity of Treponema. Front Microbiol. 2019;10:2094. Erratum in: Front Microbiol. 2019;10:2581.