Langereis Jeroen D

My main goal in science is to understand how usually harmless colonizing bacteria of the upper respiratory tract are able to cause inflammatory diseases that include otitis media, pneumonia and sepsis. Both host factors such as the complement system and bacterial virulence mechanisms have my interest. In the last years, I have used bacterial genome-wide mutagenesis screens to identify the genetic architecture needed for non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae to survive in the presence of an active complement system, survive in the presence of phagocytizing neutrophils and the ability to form biofilms. Currently, I use genome-wide mutagenesis screens to identify bacterial genes required to grow in nutrient poor conditions such as the lungs. Current studies most often use growth medium rich in nutrients, though, this is not a natural environment. Therefore, I study bacterial growth on polarized primary human epithelial cells. In this model, I wish to identify bacterial mechanisms that are required for nutrient take-up, but also for survival in the presence of antimicrobial activity of the mucus layer. My ultimate goal is to understand bacterial pathogenesis and contribute to the development of a vaccine or small molecule inhibitor that prevents or treat inflammatory diseases.