The Andersen Lab is associated with the Dept. of Clinical Microbiology, Odense University Hospital and focuses on translating clinical and experimental research into new treatment regimens, diagnostic assays, and medical devices in collaboration with hospital departments and companies.
We moreover investigate host-pathogen interactions using innovative, in-house established in vitro cell culture models and animal infection models.
Members
Thomas Emil Andersen, MSc, PhD, professor
Rune Micha Pedersen, MD, PhD, clin. assoc. prof., department specialist
Kristian Stærk, MD, PhD, postdoc
Ditte Rask Tornby, MSc, PhD student
Jens Sivkær Pettersen, MSc, PhD, postdoc
Line Lundegård Bang, MSc, biomedical laboratory scientist
Julie May Jensen, animal technician
Anna Damsbo Jensen, MSc, PhD, industrial postdoc
Interested in urinary tract infection? See our homepage on this topic (Danish)
Research focus
Hospital-acquired infections constitute a major problem in healthcare. In hospitals, the high concentration of infectious agents and susceptible patients creates optimal conditions for the manifestation and spread of bacteria and viruses. Often, implanted or indwelling medical devices serve as a nidus for bacterial growth, leading to device-associated infections. Prolonged antibiotic treatment can, moreover, lead to antimicrobial resistance, which may limit treatment options; resistant strains can also result in outbreaks that are difficult to control. Similarly, viruses thrive in hospital settings and typically manifest more severely and for longer durations in admitted patients.
At the Andersen Lab, we are a team of interdisciplinary researchers dedicated to investigating these infections. We have established a range of innovative in vitro models, including liquid flow-assisted cell-culture infection models, to support our research in urinary tract infection, intestinal infection, and intravascular infection. Using tube systems and flow chambers we simulate device-associated biofilm growth and study the underlying infection pathogenesis using advanced microscopy and genetic profiling. Hypotheses from in vitro work are tested in our comprehensive platform of in vivo animal infection models, comprising mouse, pig and sheep models of implant-associated infections, and mouse and pig models of urinary tract infection.
Lastly, the Andersen Lab governs the region’s only BSL-3 virus culturing facility which we used extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic to study the effect of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Now, our special expertise in culturing and handling contagious airway viruses is used to study antiviral agents against SARs-CoV-2, RSV and influenza, and to evaluate the contagiousness of patients infected with these viruses.
Ongoing projects
In this project, funded by the European Union and The Innovation Fund Denmark, we collaborate with the Danish Fundamental Metrology Institute, the Danish company LightNovo and the Lithuanian company Standa to develop a miniaturized Raman spectrometer for identification of bacterial infections in wounds. Wound infection is a considerable risk factor especially after surgical procedures and in immune-compromized patients. Fast and reliable identification of pathogenic bacteria in wounds is therefore of utmost importance. This project aims to build a handheld Raman instrument that enables immediate detection of infections in wounds, using novel miniaturized Raman technology coupled with machine learning software.
The project is supported by the EU EUREKA - Eurostars Programme and runs from March 2023 to August 2025.
TELEGRAFT is a multi-disciplinary project involving 10 international partners from, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark. Launched in late 2022, the project aims to develop a novel tissue- and blood compatible vascular graft for dialysis. Our tasks in this project are to co-develop antibacterial and tissue-integration properties of the graft, and assist the development of an integrated Raman sensor. Read more about the project here.
The project is supported with 4.8M€ by the European Union and runs until Dec. 2027.
The project is supported by the EU EUREKA - Eurostars Programme and runs until March 2027.
In the project we analyze the viral load and virus neutralization capacity in COVID-19 hospitalized patients as well as in citizens. To do so, we have established one of DK’s only SARS-CoV-2 experimental laboratories at the facilities of Winsløwparken, Odense, DK. Here, patient/citizen samples are cultured, and viral load and neutralization capacity estimated based on plaque assays and plaque reduction neutralisation tests. Throughout 2020-2023 we have analyzed more than 600 patient samples and assisted the assessment of whether contagious virus is present in these persons. In 2021-23, our focus has been assessments of the effect of the COVID-19 vaccines on neutralization capacity in vulnerable patient groups such as kidney- and cancer patients. Lastly, we have investigated the protection provided by the vaccines in healthy individuals against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
During 2020-2023 the project has been funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Region of Southern Denmark, and the Danish Ministry og Higher Education and Science.
In this EU-funded project we collaborate with the 糖果派对-spinoff GlyProVac (DK), Fraunhofer (DE) og Epitopic GmbH (DE) to develop and perform pre-clinical tests of a novel vaccine candidate against recurrent urinary tract infection.
The project is supported by the EU EUREKA - Eurostars Programme and runs until March 2024.
This project aims to elucidate the pathogenesis associated with Clostridium difficile intestinal infection. This organism is a major problem at hospitals worldwide, due to its resistance towards many antibiotics. Patients treated with antibiotics often lose their normal intestinal flora, leaving ideal conditions for C. diff. As a consequence, patients may become chronically infected with C. diff., resulting in significant morbidity among these patients. Using the in vitro intestinal infection models developed by the Clinical Biofilm Group, the colonization mechanisms by C. diff. are investigated and novel treatment regimens are developed and tested.
The project is funded by the MICA foundation and the model development by the 糖果派对 Research and Innovation Foundation.
Recently finalized projects
The project utilized the research groups’ flow-chamber based intestinal infection model to assess the colonization efficiency of selected outbreak VRE strains. By doing so, we aimed to assess the hypothesis, that certain outbreak VRE strains are specifically competent in rapid colonization of the human intestine, and that this might explain their uncontrolled spread in hospital departments.
The project was funded by the OUH Research Fund and the Region of Southern Denmark.
A cross-disciplinary project in which the Clinical Biofilm Group collaborated with the Danish Fundamental Metrology Institute (DK), BacAlert IVS (DK) and art photonics GmbH (DE) with the common goal of developing next generation technology for fast identification of pathogenic bacteria.
The project was funded by the European Union EUREKA programme.
The project was funded by EU’s Horizon 2020 Eurostars program.
Project cooperation with Biomodics ApS (DK) and Venair Iberica SA (ES). Funded by the Horizon 2020 Eurostars Programme. In the project, a novel anti-infection balloon urinary catheter was developed.
The project was funded by European Unions’ Horizon 2020 Eurostars programme.
The project has ended.