Many human pathogens are also found in the external environment. However, this part of their life has been studied far less closely than their life as pathogens, even though it may have enormous consequences for human exposure and probably also for the development of pathogenic properties. This research at the intersection between microbial ecology and medical microbiology examines the role of the environment as a habitat for pathogens, and for their development and spread and exposure to humans. This research is essential for our basic understanding of the causes of a number of different infectious diseases and has a strong focus on prevention. The primary target is to examine the hypothesis “The environment is crucial for the incidence of diseases caused by microorganisms”.

Contact person: Niels Bohse Hendriksen.