Research group Silvio Daniel Brugger

Bacterial interspecies interactions in the human host as a source for microbiota-targeted therapies

Projects

  • Bacterial interspecies interactions in the upper respiratory tract – microbiota engineering for prevention of invasive disease (Promedica Foundation, Walter und Gertrud Siegenthaler Stiftung).
  • The bacterial microbiota in burn patients – understanding microbial evolution under antibiotic selection pressure for future therapeutic and preventive approaches (Béatrice-Ederer-Weber Foundation. Collaboration with Philipp Bühler).
  • MRSA/MSSA eradication with commensals. (Gebert Rüf Foundation, Microbials Grant. Collaboration with Lucio Isa and Markus Hilty).
  • KFSP – BacVivo – Precision medicine for bacterial infections. Clinical Research Priority Programm (CRPP) University of Zürich
  • SARS-CoV-2-Induced Immune Alterations and their Role in Post-COVID Syndrome. (The Loop Zurich / Helmut Horten Stiftung, lead Roland Martin)).
  • Protective and Pathogenic T Cell Immunity During SARS-CoV-2 Infection. (SNF, Lead Roland Martin).

Members

  • Pascal M. Frey, M.D., M.Sc., PostDoc, Epidemiologist
    Project: Quantitative Fitness Analysis (QFA), Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
  • Yulia Butscheid, Ph.D., M.D.-Student
    Project: MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Thomas C. Scheier, M.D., ID Fellow
    Project: VRE detection, novel typing methods
    Collaboration: PD Alban Ramette, University of Bern
  • Jeruscha Baum, M.Sc., PhD Student
    Project: MRSA/MSSA eradications with commensals
    Funding: Gebert-Rüf-Foundation
    Collaboration: Prof. Lucio Isa, ETHZ, PD Markus Hilty, University of Bern
  • Judith Bergada Pijuan, M.Sc., PhD-Student
    Project: Molecular mechanisms mediating the inhibition of human upper respiratory tract pathobionts by the commensals Dolosigranulum pigrum and Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum
    Funding: Promedica Foundation
    Collaboration: Prof. Mattia Zampieri, ETHZ
  • Giorgio Beringer, M.D.-Ph.D., Student
    Project: S. argenteus virulence and population diversity
    Joint supervision with Prof. A. Zinkernagel
  • Chun-Chi Chang, M.Sc. PhD-Student
    Project: Commensals in human upper respiratory tract and host innate immunity: Modulating functional capacity of innate immune response by nasal commensals against pathobionts
    Joint supervision with Prof. A. Zinkernagel and Dr. S. Mairpady Shambat
    Project: The bacterial microbiota in burn patients – understanding microbial evolution under antibiotic selection pressure for future therapeutic and preventive approaches
    Funding: Béatrice-Ederer-Weber Foundation
    Collaboration: Dr. Philipp Bühler, USZ, Dr. Srikanth Mairpady Shambat, USZ

Funding

  • Promedica Foundation, Béatrice-Ederer-Weber Foundation, Walter und Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), The Loop Zurich (Helmut Horten Foundation), KFSP – BacVivo – Precision medicine for bacterial infections.Clinical Research Priority Programm (CRPP) University of Zürich.
  • Previous Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Swiss Foundation for Grants in Biology and Medicine (SFGBM), Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research.

Collaborations

  • Annelies Zinkernagel, Dr. Srikanth Mairpady Shambat, PD Dr. Barbara Hasse, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, USZ
  • Nicolas Müller, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, USZ
  • Lucio Isa, ETHZ
  • Roland Marin, Dr. Ilijas Jelcic, MIMS, USZ
  • Roger Koyos, Dr. Burcu Tepekule, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, USZ
  • Philipp Bühler and Prof. Reto Schüpbach, Institute for Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland
  • PD Dr. Markus Hilty and PD Dr. Alban Ramette, Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Switzerland
  • Katherine P. Lemon, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
  • Melinda M. Pettigrew, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
  • Lukas Flatz, University of Tübingen
  • Mattia Zampieri, ETHZ
  • Sven Hobbie, Institute for Medical Microbiology, UZH
  • David Holzmann, PD Dr. Michael Soyka, Department of ENT, USZ
    Prof. Emma Slack, ETHZ

Contact

Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology
Dr. med. Silvio Brugger
University Hospital Zurich
Rämistrasse 100
8091 Zurich

Tel. +41 44 255 33 22