The Working group Chlamydiae and Mycoplasmas hosts the WOAH and National Reference Laboratory for Chlamydiosis and the NRL for Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia.
Main Research Topics
- Zoonotic potential of chlamydiae – transmission routes of chlamydial infections from animals to humans
- Direct identification of Chlamydia spp. from clinical samples by DNA microarray
- Development of further microarray-based tests for genetic characterization of chlamydiae
- Development and validation of tests for detection of Chlamydia spp. by real-time PCR
- Validation / Batch testing of test kits
- Chlamydia-associated diseases of cattle, sheep, and birds
- In vitro model systems for investigation of molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of chlamydial diseases
- WildTech – Detection of zoonotic pathogens in wildlife (7th European Framework Programme)
- Persistence of chlamydiae as part of molecular pathogenesis
- Identification of pathogenicity factors
- Research on the molecular pathogenesis of mycoplasma infections, particularly of ruminants
- Development and validation of new methods for direct detection of mycoplasmas (microarray test for all mycoplasmas relevant in veterinary medicine, EU/EMIDA project)
- Improvement of serological diagnostics for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (BMZ/GTZ project)
- Improvement of molecular biological methods for DNA-based detection of the causative agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia