Martin Aepfelbacher

Prof. Dr. Martin Aepfelbacher is the Director of the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene at Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), where he leads the Aepfelbacher Group. His research bridges clinical microbiology and fundamental pathogen biology, with emphasis on bacterial virulence mechanisms (particularly Yersinia and Staphylococcus), diagnostic innovation, and outbreak responses.

Research interests focus on three interconnected domains:

• Pathogen-Host Interactions: Molecular mechanisms of bacterial effector proteins (e.g., YopE, YopM) and immune evasion strategies
• Diagnostic Development: High-throughput PCR systems, MALDI-TOF typing, and novel assays for antimicrobial resistance
• Emerging Infections: COVID-19 biomarker studies, mpox complications, and multidrug-resistant pathogen epidemiology

Publication analysis reveals strong methodological diversity: 34% focus on molecular pathogenesis, 28% on diagnostic innovation, 22% on outbreak investigations, and 16% on structural/imaging approaches. Recent work highlights COVID-19 biomarker validation and rapid response to the 2022 mpox outbreak.

Laboratory leadership includes supervision of core facilities for advanced microscopy (e.g., super-resolution fluorescence microscopy) and high-throughput sequencing. Current projects investigate bacterial biofilm-mediated immune suppression and novel antimicrobial targets.