Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology

Characteristics of the laboratory

The Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology (LBMI) was established on 15th March 1996. It is an output of two organizations - University of veterinary medicine and pharmacy in Košice and Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak academy of science, collaborating to attain the common goal of establishing a sophisticated research unit in the field on immunogenomics and immunoproteomics”.

Since its foundation, the LBMI is assuring excellence in research and education. The research activities of the LBMI have focused on exploring host-pathogen interactions of neuroinvasive human pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Franciscella Sp.,  West Nile virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus and to intervene in their early pathogenesis. The agenda includes a broad range of highly specialized and specific research activities like: a) exploration of transcriptomic and proteomic response of host cells (forming the neurovascular unit) at the onset of pathogen attachment and entry, b) Identification of specific receptors and mapping of domains involved in ligand binding, c) Engineering of single domain antibodies (sdAbs) that can cross the blood-brain barrier and recognize pathogen receptors, and d) development of antimicrobial peptides. Furthermore, as a responsible contribution to worldwide SARS-COV2 (COVID 19) pandemic, LBMI has initiated work Slovak National project (APVV) on COVID 19 to reveal molecular interaction of COVID19 and – hepatocarcinoma cells and interfere in virus uptake through sdAbs and anti-viral peptides.        

We employ state of the art techniques at LBMI viz. next generation sequencing based RNAseq, high-throughput proteomics involving mass spectrometry based bottom-up and top-down approach, mutation detection techniques like SSCP, DGGE, high resolution melting (HRM) assays; direct DNA sequencing, quantitative real time PCR, transfection techniques, in vitro recombinant protein design and production, protein-protein interaction assays, phage display, affinity ligand binding, pull-down assays and culture of cells forming the neurovascular unit of Human brain.

Till date LBMI has produced 12 PhD that are holding eminent positions in research institutes of Slovak republic, and has trained more than 30 visiting researchers from several countries of European union on phage display and proteomics.