Host-Pathogen Interactions

The division host-pathogen interaction has a focus on synthetic genomics and diseases of the hoof. The team deciphers virulence traits as well as pathogenicity mechanisms and contributes to the improvement & development of vaccines and diagnostic assays. Our research covers mycoplasmas, Pasteurellaceae, Dichelobacter spp. and Treponema spp.

Extramural research funds (last 5 years):

1. Donor (intramural): Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID); Project title: ‘CORE activity: BioPreparedness biobank repository’; Total Budget allocation: 1,089,360 CHF, IVB budget allocation: 297,000 CHF, Duration: 6/2022-5/2024; Principal Investigator: Stephen Leib, Co-PI: Jörg Jores, IVB is responsible for Synthetic Genomics pipeline, IVB Staff: Paraskevi Pramateftaki
2. Donor (intramural): Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID); Project title: ‘Use of tailor-made bacteriophages for the treatment of infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria; UBERN Budget allocation: 300,000 CHF, Duration: 1/2022-12/2024; Principal Investigator: Fabien Labroussaa, Jörg Jores, Co-PI: Stephen Leib, IVB Staff: Jörg Jores & Jérémy Cherbuin
3. Donor: Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (Switzerland); Project title: "Efficacy of IntraCare-Products against ovine Footrot in Switzerland", Budget: 134,462 CHF; Duration: 2/2022-7/2023; Principal investigator: Peter Kuhnert; IVB staff: Nadia Loosli, Isabelle Brodard
4. Donor: European Union - Horizon 2020 - RIA; Project title: ‘A Cross-Disciplinary Alliance to Identify, PREdict and prePARe for Emerging Vector-Borne Diseases (PREPARE4VBD)’; UBERN Budget allocation: 665,688.75 €; Duration: 9/2021-8/2025; Principal Investigator: Anna-Sofie Stensgaard, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Leader of work package 5: Joerg Jores, Partner institutions: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology-icipe (Kenya), Makerere University (Uganda), Swiss TPH, University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), L'Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (Italy), National Institute for Medical Research-NIMR (Tanzania), Foundation pour un centre Suisse de recherches scientifique en Cote D'Ivoire, Vector Control Division - Ministry of Health (Uganda); IVB staff: Theresa Wagner, Thomas Démoulins, Jing Zhang, Joerg Jores
5. Donor: Swiss National Science Foundation; Project title: ‘’Deciphering Mycoplasma-host interactions using synthetic genomics”; Project number: 310030_201152; Budget: 898,729 CHF; Duration: 8/2021-7/2025; Principal Investigator: Joerg Jores; IVB staff: Sergi Torres Puig, Thatcha Yimthin, Jing Zhang, Joerg Jores
6. Donor: Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (Switzerland); Project title: ‘Are wild boars in Switzerland a reservoir for enzootic pneumonia and what is the current serological status of the Swiss domestic pigs?’; Budget: 227,706 CHF; Duration: 4/2021-6/2023; Principal Investigator: Joerg Jores; Co-principal Investigator: Nicolas Ruggli (The Institute of Virology and Immunology-IVI); IVB staff: Peter Kuhnert, Nadia Scalisi, Joerg Jores
7. Donor: National Science Foundation (USA); Project title: ‘Special creative extension related to the project BREAD: Toward Development of a Vaccine for Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia’; Total budget US$1,879,282; Project duration: 8/2015 - 4/2019; Principal investigator: Sanjay Vashee, J. Craig Venter Institute (USA), Co- Principal Investigator: Jörg Jores, University of Bern (Switzerland), Co-Principal Investigator: Carole Lartigue and Pascal Sirand-Pugnet, INRA (France); IVB Project staff: Jörg Jores, Fabien Labroussaa, Valentina Cippa, Melanie Schumacher
8. Donor: Vaccine challenge fund from IDRC (Canada); Project title: ‘Development of a novel vaccine for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia based on a fast-growing Mycoplasma feriruminatoris chassis’; Total budget: 1,400,000 CAD; Project duration: 11/2017-2/2020; Principal investigator: Jörg Jores: Co-Principal Investigator: Carole Lartigue and Pascal Sirand-Pugnet, INRA (France); Partner institution: J. Craig Venter Institute (USA); IVB Project staff: Jörg Jores, Fabien Labroussaa, Valentina Cippa, Milena Tresch
9. Donor: Horizon2020 "SAPHIR" (European Union) Project title: 'Development of a Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae attenuated vaccine and improvement of bacterin vaccine'; IVB Budget 212,500 €; Duration 3/2015 - 2/2019; Principal investigator: Dominique Maes University of Ghent (Belgium); Co-principal investigator: Peter Kuhnert, Partner institutions: EDI-IVI (Switzerland), University of Ghent (Belgium); IVB Project staff: Peter Kuhnert, Bettina Trueb, Simona Gerber
10. Donor: Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO (Switzerland); Project title: 'In-vitro and ex-vivo testing of the suitability of different disinfecting solutions for use in footbaths in the planned Swiss footrot control program', Budget: CHF 116'347; Project duration: 1/2018-6/2019, Principal investigator: Adrian Steiner, University of Bern (Switzerland), Co-investigator: Peter Kuhnert; IVB Project staff: Peter Kuhnert, Tobias Hidber