News Archive
CDiff: Start of 3.9 Million Euro project (Aug 2013)
CDiff: Epidemiology and systems biology of the bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile
The bacterium Clostridium difficile is causing one of the most dangerous hospital acquired diseases. The so called C. difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has actually caught increasing attention as one of the most deadly, hospital-acquired diseases in Germany.
Despite its clinical relevance only little is known about the gene regulatory, protein and metabolic networks involved in the host associated life cycle of C. difficile. Within the CDiff project 13 interdisciplinary research groups from the 6 partner organizations of the NZMG (Norddeutsches Zentrum für Mikrobielle Genomforschung) will address and answer central open questions regarding the molecular basis of the C. difficile infection process. The systems biology approach on the model strain C. difficile 630 will help to elucidate and understand its metabolic pathways. Obtained data will constitute a solid basis for the development of novel prevention, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
The CDiff research project started on August 1, 2013. The three year funding is provided by the 'Niedersächsisches Vorab' of the VolkswagenStiftung. Co-ordinator of the CDiff consortium is Prof. Dr. Dieter Jahn from the TU Braunschweig. Our department is going to address project II.1 "Genome analysis of C. difficile isolates derived from isolated populations".