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Diagnostik- und Forschungszentrum
High-risk pathogensResearchDiagnostic and Research Center for Molecular BiomedicineResearch centers and institutesMedical University of Graz

Research team of Steinmetz

Molecular Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology research area

Team leaders: Ivo Steinmetz, Eva Leitner-Meyer, Gabriel Wagner-Lichtenegger

Focus: Knowledge of the distribution of infectious agents in the population and in health facilities is essential to goal-oriented patient diagnostics and the review of strategies for prevention. A state-of-the-art methodology in the lab is important in the identification and typification of infectious agents, new pathogenic variants and antimicrobial resistance. A large number of new developments in this area aim to further improve the speed and accuracy of the procedures. The goal of our work is to optimize these methods and evaluate their targeted use.

Networking: Our research work is conducted in close cooperation with clinical colleagues at University Hospital Graz and other national and international partners.

Projects

School SARS-CoV-2 monitoring project—Study to determine the prevalence and development in prevalence of active SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) in pupils and teachers

  • The goal of the school SARS-CoV-2 monitoring project is to determine the incidence of active SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary school and lower secondary school pupils and their teachers in Austria over a period of 10 months.
  • Time: 2020–2021
  • Funded by: Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
  • Project partners: Consortium of the Medical University of Graz, the Medical University of Innsbruck, the Faculty of Medicine at JKU Linz and the University of Vienna in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research

Whole genome-based molecular typification of Bordetella pertussis

  • Timely recognition and containment of outbreaks of Bordetella pertussis, the agent that causes whooping cough, requires quick and precise identification using pathogen genome sequencing. Due to the high cost of devices and complex bioinformatics, broad standardized use of this high-resolution typification is not yet feasible. In this project, we combine new whole genome sequencing technology with an automated analysis pipeline to obtain a robust, typification methodology suitable for routines for the clinical microbiology lab.
  • Time: Since 2020
  • Funded by: Med Uni Graz
  • Project partner: AGES – Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety

Improved diagnostics and immune response markers in antibiotic-associated colitis and antibiotic-associated diarrhea

  • This prospective observational study in cooperation with the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology determines the microbiome of patients with antibiotic-associated colitis (AAC) and antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) from stool samples and detects the presence of intestinal inflammatory markers and enteropathogens. The first goal of our subprojects is to improve detection of antibiotic-associated enteropathogens with new diagnostic methods and the second is to investigate whether the antibody response to enteropathogens can be used as a diagnostic/prognostic parameter.
  • Time: Since 2021
  • Funded by: Med Uni Graz
  • Project partners: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine; Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine; Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Med Uni Graz

 

Total lab automation in clinical bacteriological diagnostics

  • In response to technical advances in recent years, the first fully automated lab systems have been developed for culture-based, bacteriological patient diagnostics. These "lab lines" are structured into modules and consist of interconnected equipment and devices in which the majority of the complete analysis (sample preparation, incubation of culture media, digital plate reading, transportation to specialized diagnostic equipment) is fully automated. In this project, we investigate analysis time and detection limits in total lab automation using different clinical samples in comparison to standard procedures.
  • Time: Since 2018
  • Funded by: Med Uni Graz
  • Project partners: Clinical divisions of University Hospital Graz

Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine

Ivo Steinmetz  
T: +43 316 385 73700
E: ivo.steinmetz(at)medunigraz.at
Ivo Steinmetz
Research profile

Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine

Eva Leitner-Meyer  
T: +43 316 385 73714
E: eva.leitner(at)medunigraz.at
Research profile

Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine

Gabriel Wagner-Lichtenegger 
T: +43 316 385 73711
E: gabriel.wagner-lichtenegger(at)medunigraz.at
Research profile

Team

Staff