Detail

Keywords

Borrelia; Lyme Disease; Lyme Neuroborreliosis; Tick-Borne Diseases; Ticks

Research group(s)

• Immunology of Infection and Microbiology
  Members:
  Michael Reiter
  Anna-Margarita Schötta
  Mateusz Markowicz
  Margarida Ruivo
  Michiel Wijnveld

Research interests

My research focuses on Borreliosis as tick-borne disease. Lyme borreliosis to date remains an enigmatic disease. On one hand I´m interested in the host-pathogen interaction at the mammalian-spirochete interface which is currently not well understood. With the aid of transcriptomics we try to decipher the complex processes in the early stages of infection. On the other hand reliable diagnosis of the disease is often complicated and requires specialists when clinical symptoms are unspecific. In particular, in light of emerging novel Borrelia species, like B. miyamotoi, clinicians are in need of markers that aid reliable diagnosis.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

• recombinant protein expression,
• PCR,
• RT-PCR,
• real time PCR,
• RNA purification,
• immunoblotting,
• co-cultivation of pathogens and host cells;
• large animal models;

Selected publications

1. Reiter, M. et al., 2015. A newly established real-time PCR for detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes ricinus ticks. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 6(3), pp.303-308. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.02.002.
2. Reiter, M. et al., 2017. The domestic pig as a potential model for Borrelia skin infection. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 8(2), pp.300-308. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.12.003.
3. Müller, A. et al., 2016. Detection of Bartonella spp. in Ixodes ricinus ticks and Bartonella seroprevalence in human populations. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 7(5), pp.763-767. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.03.009.
4. Müller, A. et al., 2016. Development of a serum-free liquid medium for Bartonella species. Folia Microbiologica, 61(5), pp.393-398. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12223-016-0448-9.
5. Markowicz, M. et al., 2015. Oligoarthritis Caused byBorrelia bavariensis, Austria, 2014. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 21(6), pp.1052-1054. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2106.141516.