Dr. Weronika Barcik, a member of our team, has secured an USZ Innopool Grant for her research project focusing on histamine-producing and -inducing bacteria as key players in respiratory allergies. This study investigates the potential role these bacteria play in the severity of allergy symptoms, aiming to contribute towards the development of personalized allergy therapies to enhance treatment efficiency and patient quality of life.
The Graduate Campus of the University of Zurich (UZH) has honoured Prof. Silvio D. Brugger from the Faculty of Medicine with the prestigious UZH Mentoring Award 2025. This award is presented annually to outstanding mentors of doctoral students, based on nominations by the doctoral candidates themselves and selection by a cross-faculty jury. Prof. Brugger was recognised for his exceptional dedication to supporting and guiding early-career researchers. Elisabeth Stark, Vice President of UZH, highlighted his inspiring commitment, which exemplifies the highest standards of academic mentoring. The entire research team warmly congratulates Prof. Brugger on this well-deserved recognition!
Dr. Weronika Barcik, a member of our team, has secured an USZ Innopool Grant for her research project focusing on histamine-producing and -inducing bacteria as key players in respiratory allergies. This study investigates the potential role these bacteria play in the severity of allergy symptoms, aiming to contribute towards the development of personalized allergy therapies to enhance treatment efficiency and patient quality of life.
It was a pleasure to welcome a delegation from FreeNovation to our lab so they could see how our work is progressing and funding is being invested in true innovation.
The work of our sdb lab research team led by Prof. Silvio D. Brugger has recently been featured in the USZ media for its exploratory focus on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The project, which began in January 2023 with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Gebert-Rüf Foundation, and FreeNovation, investigates a new approach by altering the respiratory tract's microbiome. This method, diverging from traditional antibiotic usage, aims to utilise benign bacteria in combatting pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Preliminary results are expected by the end of 2027.
Bacterial Interspecies interactions in the upper respiratory tract microbiota - novel treatment and prevention strategies against pathogens
Funding: SNSF Starting Grant
Interactions of benficial commensal bacteria with human airway tissue to protect from pathogens.
Funding: FreeNovation
MRSA/MSSA eradication with commensals.
KFSP – BacVivo – Precision medicine for bacterial infections. Clinical Research Priority Programm (CRPP).
Funding: UZH CRPP BacVivo
The bacterial microbiota in burn patients – understanding microbial evolution under antibiotic selection pressure for future therapeutic and preventive approaches.
Funding: Béatrice-Ederer-Weber Foundation
Our lab has establised an innovative method to determine the reproductive fitness of bacteria when in competitive interaction with each other.
Using an Arduino robot with 3D-printable parts and open-source software, it is easy to print your own setup for Bacterial Quantitative Fitness Analysis (BaQFA). Find out mor at the dedicated BaQFA website.
Protective and Pathogenic T Cell Immunity During SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
A collaboration (SNF, Lead: Roland Martin).
MicrobiotaCOVID cohort (with Philipp K. Bühler)
SARS-CoV-2-Induced Immune Alterations and their Role in Post-COVID Syndrome.
Funding: The LOOP Zurich
Intuitive access to the latest data regarding microbes, antibiotic susceptibility and antibiotic treatments.
A collaboration with the INFECT Association (infect.org)
Although we are chronically low on lab space, the SDB LAB has awsome equipment and the resources to acquire what's need for our projects.
Our lab members actively engage in teaching at an academic level. We do University lectures, case presentations, journal clubs, clinical bedside teachings, seminar series on evidence based medicine, and clinical skills training (and the occational beer session for applied physiology).
