Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology (Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology)
Position: PHD Student
T +43 1 40160 33042
hena.comic@meduniwien.ac.at
Keywords
Dermacentor; Ixodidae; Rickettsia Infections; Tick-Borne Diseases; Ticks
Research group(s)
Research interests
My primary research interest lies in understanding the role of microorganisms in our world, with a particular focus on infection biology. As the number of identified pathogens continues to grow, so does the urgency to study how microorganisms cause disease in humans. Currently, I am focusing on ticks and tick-borne diseases, with an emphasis on infection models of Rickettsia and the optimization of artificial feeding systems. I am particularly drawn to molecular microbiology - specifically, how genetic factors in microorganisms influence their phenotype, pathogenicity, and resistance mechanisms. Working in the field of tick-borne diseases allows me to combine my interests in infection biology and molecular microbiology, with research that has direct implications for human health.
Techniques, methods & infrastructure
Microbiology; Molecular Biology; Cell-culture
Selected publications
- Fasnacht, M., Comic, H. and Moll, I. (2025) ‘Ampicillin treatment in persister cell studies may cause non-physiological artifacts’, Microbial Cell, 12, pp. 53–64. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15698/mic2025.03.845.