Host-Microbe Interaction

The HMI research group is dedicated to improving human health by exploiting interactions between human hosts, their microbes, and antimicrobial drugs.

We do this by generating cutting-edge knowledge that lays the groundwork for innovative therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to prevent and treat bacterial infections more effectively.

To achieve this goal, HMI research spans these areas:

1) Bacterial colonization, virulence, and pathogenesis;

2) Human microbiome as a target and tool for preventing infections;

3) Antimicrobial agents, activities, and resistance.


We are located at the Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT, and a part of the Centre for new ANtibacterial Strategies (CANS). We work closely with the Pediatric Infection Research Group with whom we share our laboratories.

Members



See the overview of our current and past projects, based on the research area.



HMI accepts ambitious Bachelor and Master students with relevant backgrounds (e.g., Biomedicine, Pharmacy, Clinical Nutrition, Bioinformatics, Medicine, etc.) for various project-based work. We are also involved in the following teaching activities:



current PhD students and their projects

Gaute Hovde Bø - The impact of probiotic and antibiotic use on the early life gut microbiome: A metabolomic approach

Ahmed Bargheet - The impact of probiotic and antibiotic use on the early life gut microbiota, resistome, and mobilome

Nadia Aftab - Dissecting Cellular Phenotypic Heterogeneity of bacterial pathogen populations in relation to dormancy and virulence

Merete Elise Olsen Røkeberg - Identification and functional studies of colonisation determinants in Staphylococcus aureus

Jeanette Slettnes Grunnvåg - Identification and functional characterization of enzymes from Enterococcus faecium 


2024-2025 MSc students and their projects

Vera Brekken - Comparison of fecal short-chain fatty acid profiles between pediatric cancer patients and healthy controls

Ida Svenningsen - The dual relationship between Klebsiella pneumonia and short-chain fatty acids

Anique J E M Driessen - The role of serine hydrolases in the susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumonie to antimicrobial peptides



For publications, check CRISTIN


Our popular science outreach

Ny forskning kan stoppe fryktet sykehus-bakterie

Enterokokker er bakterienes «dr. Jekyll and mr. Hyde»

How beneficial bacteria can help premature babies thrive

Bacteria hide their resistance – a challenge for diagnostics

Hunting microbes event for families at national science week, Northern Norwegian science center



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