Research at the NRL for Salmonella
Salmonellosis is a human disease caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella. In Germany, about 14 000 cases a year are recorded. It is thereby the second most commonly reported bacterial diarrheal disease in Germany. At the NRL for Salmonella, aspects of Salmonella transmission via foodstuffs, livestock and animal feed to humans are investigated.
The development of antibiotic resistances, mechanisms of resistances and their prevalence within Salmonella is likewise under investigation. Of particular focus are antibiotics which are used for treating multi-resistant bacteria (e.g. 3rd and 4th generations of Cephalosporins, Carpapenems, Colistin).
Further, new methods for the detection, isolation and typing of Salmonella are being developed. In this area, the application of next generation sequencing techniques plays a vital and increasing role.
The current research topics comprise:
- Surveys on the prevalence of Salmonella in animals, foodstuff and other sources
- Pheno- and genotypical evaluation of resistance using MIC, PCR and whole genome sequencing
- Development of methods for the detection, quantification and characterization of Salmonella species using Next-generation sequencing
- Studies to assess the applicability of whole genome sequencing for Salmonella routine diagnostics and within outbreak analyses
- Assessing the safety and efficiency of Salmonella reduction using UVC-LED-radiation for the treatment of table eggs
- Development of methods for the differentiation of Salmonella vaccine and field strains
- Studies on the detection and differentiation of Salmonella and identification of associated resistance determinants in complex matrices via novel metagenomics approaches