Dr. Sabina Karacic
Sabina.Karacic @ ukbonn.de
+49 (0)228 287 - 19103
Research Interests and Projects
Our research focuses on microbiomes and biofilm-associated microbial communities in clinical and environmental settings, with emphasis on antimicrobial resistance, biomineralisation, and microbial community dynamics. Current projects involve the characterisation of microbiomes and biofilms from medical and environmental origins, integrating molecular approaches (metagenomics, whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomics) with microscopy and chemical analyses.
One of our projects is the Dental Unit Waterline Microbiome and Biofilm Characterisation (BONFOR) project. This project examines the microbial diversity and resistance patterns of biofilms and planktonic communities that form within dental unit waterlines and spittoons. Using culture-dependent methods and metagenomics, the study identifies potential reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance and evaluates the effects of disinfectants on microbial community structure and virulence.
Fossilisation and Biomineralisation of Microbial Biofilms is a collaborative project within the DFG research group For 2685, focusing on mineral-microbe interactions and the fossilisation and mineralisation of soft tissues. The research explores microbial and chemical processes that contribute to tissue preservation, combining microbiological, molecular and imaging approaches to understand early-stage fossilisation mechanisms.
Finally, using experimental and material-based microbiome models, we develop reconstructed microbial and biofilm communities to test various dental and hospital materials. Focus areas include resistance behaviour, microbial attachment, and disinfectant efficacy, integrating phenotypic assays with genomic and microscopic analyses.
