Tim Holm Jakobsen

Tim Holm Jakobsen

Associate Professor

Primary fields of research

  • Search for new antimicrobial treatment methods.

  • Identification and validation of chemical substances for attenuating pathogenic bacteria.

  • Human implant related bacterial biofilm infections.

Current research

Up until the 1970s, bacteria were understood to live as single organisms (planktonic mode of life), floating or actively swimming in their respective environments. This perception was challenged by the discovery that bacteria can live as organized aggregated communities, termed biofilms, and today the biofilm mode of growth is considered the favored life form of bacteria. Biofilm formation in the environment is believed to be an ancient strategy by which bacteria increase their survival potential in hostile environments. Extensive investigations support this to also be valid for biofilm related infections where the bacteria show highly elevated tolerance towards antibiotics and the immune system, compared with planktonic cells.

Several signalling systems have been shown to be involved in different aspects of biofilm formation and maintenance, not least Quorum Sensing (QS) and cyclic-di-GMP. The importance of such signalling systems is supported by the growing identification of how factors regulated by these systems favor survival potentials of pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our knowledge of signalling systems is constantly evolving and new components taking part in the regulation are discovered. Treatment of biofilm infections is significantly more difficult and complex compared to the relatively simple task of treating acute infections.

I primarely forcus on validation of substances for inhibition of pathogenic bacteria as well as investigation the role of bacterial biofilms in infection control and treatment of chronic infections. My focus is molecules capable of attenuating signalling systems like QS and cyclic-di-GMP as potential approaches in the attempt to develop new strategies against biofilms. My work spans from the identification of early leads to preclinical drug candidates by proping their efficacies.

ID: 9840851