Tim Keys

Dr. Tim Keys is a Lecturer at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich. His research focuses on engineering virus-like particles (VLPs) for vaccine development, bacterial pathogenesis mechanisms, and protein glycosylation in prokaryotes. He leads projects in the Laboratory for Food Immunology and is affiliated with the Institut für Mikrobiologie. His work bridges microbiology, immunology, and synthetic biology to address challenges in infectious diseases and vaccine stability.

Research interests include:

• Optimizing VLP resilience to mucosal stress factors through surface cross-linking and mechanical tuning
• Elucidating genetic drivers of bacterial virulence (e.g., Escherichia coli papGII variants)
• Developing glycoengineered vaccines targeting pathogens like Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
• Understanding microbiota-T cell interactions in gut immunity

Publications (2017–2025) reflect his interdisciplinary approach, with recent emphasis on:

• Mechanistic studies of bacterial fermentation shifts during gut colonization
• Genome-wide association studies linking genetic factors to urosepsis
• Innovative methods for producing glycosylated proteins

His lab's work has implications for combating antimicrobial resistance through niche competition strategies and improving vaccine delivery systems for mucosal applications.