Computational Biology for Infection Research

The group studies microbial communities, including bacteria, viruses and eukaryotic community members, in the context of human health and disease. Direct metagenome, -transcriptome or -proteome sequencing of microbial community samples enables the study of microorganisms that cannot be obtained in pure culture, corresponding to most of the microbial world.

Prof Dr Alice McHardy

Head

Prof Dr Alice McHardy
Head of Department

Research focus

The primary objective of our research at the CiiM is to establish data-driven computational approaches that further advance individualized infection medicine in the clinics, such as methods that more comprehensively and rapidly identify the relevant pathogens from infected patient samples than what is possible with today’s clinical routine. To this end, we are working innovative technologies combining both experimental and computational analyses using high-throughput sequencing of patient samples. This approach allows for direct detection and characterization of pathogens from complex samples, enabling their rapid and accurate identification. Additionally, we are interested in studying pathogen-host interactions, characterizing their antimicrobial resistances, virulence factors and in exploring the dynamics of microbial communities in the context of infectious disease progression.