Unravelling the mysteries of non-tuberculous mycobacteria

Dr. Margo Diricks (Foto: privat)

Mycobacteria are best known for causing tuberculosis. Yet their lesser-known relatives, the non-tuberculous mycobacteria, are widespread in water and soil and even in our showerheads. While usually harmless to healthy people, they can cause serious infections, particularly in people with underlying conditions, and treatment is often challenging.

Where do these bacteria come from, how do people acquire them, and why are some species more likely to cause disease than others? This lecture explores the diversity of non-tuberculous mycobacteria and illustrates how genome sequencing helps uncover their relationships, trace potential sources of infection and understand antibiotic resistance. Connecting environmental reservoirs and genomics with clinical observations, it highlights both recent discoveries and the mysteries that remain. 

• Dr. ir. Margo Diricks hält die Antrittsvorlesung im Rahmen ihrer Habilitation an der Universität zu Lübeck im Fachgebiet Mikrobiologie.