Research group Bröker

Staphylococcus aureus is a Janus-faced microorganism: on the one hand a dangerous pathogen both in and outside hospitals, on the other a frequent colonizer of the nose. There is also evidence that S. aureus may cause allergies. This magic triangle fascinates immunologists. We are using immunomics to obtain a panoramic view of the immune response directed at S. aureus in health and disease.
Three questions guide our research:

• What does the adaptive immune system, consisting of T cells, B cells and antibodies, contribute to protection from S. aureus?
  
  
• When does it react with allergy or hyperinflammation, causing damage to the organism?
  
  
• Will it be possible to vaccinate against S. aureus?