Fließwasser lab

Bacterial Interference

The human gut is a highly complex ecosystem harboring hundreds to thousands of microbial species that coexist in this ecological niche in symbiotic or antagonistic relationships. This ecosystem can also be colonized by pathogenic bacteria and colonization has been shown to increase the risk of subsequent life-threatening infections. Therefore, decolonization is an effective tool to reduce the incidence of infections. Current decolonization strategies are often based on broad-spectrum antibiotics such as colistin, which not only affect pathogens but also the commensal microbiota. Additionally, these approaches bear the risk of selecting drug-resistant pathogens. Therefore, truly selective decolonization strategies are urgently needed. Within the DZIF research group “Bacterial Interference”, we exploit the human gut microbiome as a source for novel decolonization agents. Advanced cultivation techniques such as co-cultivation of several bacteria or supplying bacteria with growth factors, in particular under anaerobic conditions, are applied to exploit this resource for novel compounds. In an in vitro gut model, the colonization of the system by pathogenic bacteria is studied to analyze the direct antagonism of enteropathogenic bacteria and the commensal microbiota. Furthermore, the system is used to study the performance of different decolonization strategies.

Commissarial JRG Leader

Thomas Fließwasser studied biology (B.Sc.) and microbiology (M.Sc.) at the University of Bonn and has specialized on gut bacteria research since his doctorate, where he elucidated the central carbon and energy metabolism of the important human gut bacterium Segatella copri (basonym Prevotella copri). In 2021 he became a postdoctoral researcher in Fabian Grein’s DZIF research group ‘Bacterial Interference’ at the Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, during which he co-developed an in vitro gut community model for the evaluation of decolonization strategies against enteropathogens. Since the departure of his former group leader in April 2024, Thomas Fließwasser has taken over the junior research group as the commissarial group leader.