We are always looking for passionate researchers (medical students, master students, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows). If you are interested in joining our team, please send an email (including CV and cover letter) to bastian.opitz@charite.de
Principal Investigator
Master Student
Laboratory Manager
PhD Student
Master Student
PhD Student
Medical Doctoral Student
Physician Scientist
PhD Student
Medical Doctoral Student
Physician Scientist
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. rer. nat. Juan Sebastian Ruiz-Moreno (PhD)
Dr. Catherine Chaput (PhD)
Dr. rer. nat. Laura Maschirow (PhD)
Dr. rer. nat. Juliane Lippmann (PhD)
Dr. rer nat. Elena Kostadinova (PhD)
Dr. rer. nat. Jan Naujoks (PhD)
Dr. rer. nat. Julia Eitel (PhD)
Dr. med. Phillip Sasu
Dr. rer. nat. Werner Hallatschek (PhD)
Dr. rer. nat. Uwe Koppe (PhD)
Dr. med. Florence Pache
Dr. rer. medic. Karolin Meixenberger
Dr. rer. nat Anne Rabes (PhD)
Dr. rer. nat. Claudia van Laak (PhD)
Dr. med. Vincent van Laak
Dr. med. vet. Maya Vinzing
The complete bibliography of Bastian Opitz is available at PubMed.
You will find selected publications in the distinct research project descriptions
Essex M*, Millet Pascual-Leone B*, Löber U, Kuhring M, Zhang B, Bruening U, Fritsche-Guenther R, Krzanowski M, Fiocca Vernengo F, Brumhard S, Röwekamp I, Anna Bielecka A, Till Lesker R, Wyler E, Landthaler M, Mantei A, Meisel C, Caesar S, Thibeault C, Corman V, Marko L, Suttorp N, Strowig T, Kurth F, Sander LE, Li Y, Kirwan JA*, Forslund SK*, Opitz B*. Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with altered tryptophan metabolism and dysregulated inflammatory response in severe COVID-19. bioRxiv 2022.12.02.518860. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.02.518860
Thibeault C, Suttorp N, Opitz B. The Microbiota in Pneumonia: From Protection to Predisposition. Science Transl. Med. 2021;13. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aba0501
Wee B, Alves J, Lindsay DSJ, Klatt AB, Sarginson FA, Cameron RL, Pickering A, Gorzynski J, Corrander J, Marttinen P, Opitz B, Smith AJ, Fitzgerald JR. Population analysis of Legionella pneumophila reveals the basis for resistance to complement-mediated killing Nat Commun. 2021;12:7165. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27478-z
Scheuermann L, Pei G, Domaszewska T, Zyla J, Oberbeck-Müller D, Bandermann S, Feng Y, Ruiz Moreno JS, Opitz B, Mollenkopf HJ, Kaufmann SHE, Dorhoi A. Platelets Restrict the Oxidative Burst in Phagocytes and Facilitate Primary Progressive Tuberculosis Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020;202:730-744. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201910-2063oc
Robak O, Heimesaat MM, Kruglov A, Prepens S, Gutbier B, Reppe K, Hochrein H, Suter M, Kirschning CJ, Schneider P, Witzenrath M, Bereswill S, Steinhoff U, Suttorp N, Sander LE, Chaput C*, Opitz B*. Antibiotic treatment-induced secondary IgA-deficiency enhances susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. J Clin Invest. 2018;28:3535-3545. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci97065
Ruiz-Moreno JS, Hamann L, Shah JA, Verbon A, Mockenhaupt FP, Puzianowska-Kuznicka M, Naujoks J, Sander LE, Witzenrath M, Cambier JC, Suttorp N, Schumann RR, Jin L, Hawn TR, Opitz B, CAPNETZ Study Group. A common hypomorphic STING variant affects cGAS-dependent antibacterial defense and is associated with susceptibility to Legionnaires‘ disease in humans. PLOS Pathog. 2018;14:e1006829. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006829
Naujoks N, Tabeling C*, Dill BD*, Hoffmann C*, Brown AS*, Kunze M, Kempa S, Peter A, Mollenkopf HJ, Dorhoi A, Kershaw O, Gruber AD, Sander LE, Witzenrath M, Herold S, Nehrlich A, Hocke AC, van Driel I, Suttorp N, Bedoui B*, Hilbi H*, Trost M*, Opitz B. IFNs modify the proteome of Legionella-containing vacuoles and restrict infection via IRG1-derived itaconic acid. PLoS Pathog. 2016;12:e1005408. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005408
Witzenrath M, Pache F, Lorenz D, Koppe U, Schönrock S, Meixenberger K, Dorhoi A, Ma J, Holmes A, Trendelenburg G, Heimesaat MM, Bereswill S, van der Linden M, Tschopp J, Mitchell TJ, Suttorp N, Opitz B. The NLRP3 Inflammasome is Differentially Activated by Pneumolysin Variants and Contributes to Host Defense in Pneumococcal Pneumonia. J Immunol. 2011;187:434-40. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1003143
Opitz B, van Laak V, Eitel J, Suttorp N. Innate immune recognition in infectious and non-infectious diseases of the lung. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;181:1294-309. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200909-1427so
Opitz B, Förster S, Hocke AC, Maass M, Schmeck B, Hippenstiel S, Suttorp N, Krüll M. Nod1 mediated endothelial cell activation by C. pneumoniae. Circ. Res. 2005;96:319-26. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.res.0000155721.83594.2c
2022 Patrick Dörner, Poster Prize (3rd International Conference „Innate Immunity of the Lung“)
2019 Juan Sebastian Ruiz-Moreno, Thesis Prize (DGI)
2019 Laura Maschirow, First Prize (DGHM/DGfI AK Infection Immunology)
2018 Bastian Opitz, Wolfgang-Stille Prize (Paul-Ehrlich-Society)
2017 Laura Maschirow, First Prize (DGHM/DGfI AK Infection Immunology)
2016 Jan Naujoks, Thesis Prize (DGHM)
2015 Jan Naujoks, First Prize (DGHM/DGfI AKI – AK Infection Immunology)
2015 Jan Naujoks, Best Talk Award (SPP1580 Internal Meeting)
2014 Jan Naujoks, First Abstract Award (DGfI Annual Meeting)
2009 Bastian Opitz, Fritz-and-Ursula-Melchers Postdoctoral Prize (DGfI)
We investigate the mechanisms of pulmonary immune responses and their regulation in infections with e.g. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Using established in vitro and in vivo models, we are studying how the immune system detects infections, how it combats intracellular bacteria, and how it controls infections with extracellular bacteria. Our goal is to better understand the immunological processes in the lung and their regulation.
Ruiz-Moreno JS, Hamann L, Jin L, Sander LE, Puzianowska-Kuznickad M, Cambier JC, Witzenrath M, Suttorp N, Schumann RR, Opitz B, CAPNETZ Study Group. The cGAS/STING pathway detects Streptococcus pneumoniae but is dispensable for anti-pneumococcal defense in mice and humans. Infect Immun. 2018;86:e00849-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00849-17
Ruiz-Moreno JS, Hamann L, Shah JA, Verbon A, Mockenhaupt FP, Puzianowska-Kuznicka M, Naujoks J, Sander LE, Witzenrath M, Cambier JC, Suttorp N, Schumann RR, Jin L, Hawn TR, Opitz B, CAPNETZ Study Group. A common hypomorphic STING variant affects cGAS-dependent antibacterial defense and is associated with susceptibility to Legionnaires‘ disease in humans. PLOS Pathog. 2018;14:e1006829. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006829
Witzenrath M, Pache F, Lorenz D, Koppe U, Schönrock S, Meixenberger K, Dorhoi A, Ma J, Holmes A, Trendelenburg G, Heimesaat MM, Bereswill S, van der Linden M, Tschopp J, Mitchell TJ, Suttorp N, Opitz B. The NLRP3 Inflammasome is Differentially Activated by Pneumolysin Variants and Contributes to Host Defense in Pneumococcal Pneumonia. J Immunol. 2011;187:434-40. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1003143
Opitz B, van Laak V, Eitel J, Suttorp N. Innate immune recognition in infectious and non-infectious diseases of the lung. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;181:1294-309. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200909-1427so
Opitz B, Förster S, Hocke AC, Maass M, Schmeck B, Hippenstiel S, Suttorp N, Krüll M. Nod1 mediated endothelial cell activation by C. pneumoniae. Circ. Res. 2005;96:319-26. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.res.0000155721.83594.2c
Mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and gut are physiologically colonized with their own collection of microbes, the microbiota. The normal upper respiratory tract and gut microbiota protects against lung infections by impeding colonization by potentially pathogenic bacteria and by regulating immune responses. Antimicrobial therapy and critical care procedures, however, can perturb the microbiota, thus compromising its function and predisposing to lung infections. We investigate how the healthy microbiota protects against lung infections and how host factors and medical interventions alter the microbiota, thus influencing susceptibility to pneumonia.
Essex M*, Millet Pascual-Leone B*, Löber U, Kuhring M, Zhang B, Bruening U, Fritsche-Guenther R, Krzanowski M, Fiocca Vernengo F, Brumhard S, Röwekamp I, Anna Bielecka A, Till Lesker R, Wyler E, Landthaler M, Mantei A, Meisel C, Caesar S, Thibeault C, Corman V, Marko L, Suttorp N, Strowig T, Kurth F, Sander LE, Li Y, Kirwan JA*, Forslund SK*, Opitz B*. Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with altered tryptophan metabolism and dysregulated inflammatory response in severe COVID-19. bioRxiv 2022.12.02.518860. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.02.518860
Thibeault C, Suttorp N, Opitz B. The Microbiota in Pneumonia: From Protection to Predisposition. Science Transl. Med. 2021;13. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aba0501
Robak O, Heimesaat MM, Kruglov A, Prepens S, Gutbier B, Reppe K, Hochrein H, Suter M, Kirschning CJ, Schneider P, Witzenrath M, Bereswill S, Steinhoff U, Suttorp N, Sander LE, Chaput C*, Opitz B*. Antibiotic treatment-induced secondary IgA-deficiency enhances susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. J Clin Invest. 2018;28:3535-3545. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci97065
Maschirow L, Suttorp N, Opitz B. Microbiota-dependent regulation of antimicrobial immunity in the lung. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2019;61:284-289. https://doi.org/10.1165/rcmb.2019-0101tr
Various host factors (e.g. genetics, age), comorbidities (e.g. chronic and metabolic diseases), and medical interventions (e.g. critical care procedures, drug treatment) influence the risk for lung infections. We are investigating the underlying mechanisms and exploring targeted strategies to protect high-risk patients from pneumonia.
Robak O, Heimesaat MM, Kruglov A, Prepens S, Gutbier B, Reppe K, Hochrein H, Suter M, Kirschning CJ, Schneider P, Witzenrath M, Bereswill S, Steinhoff U, Suttorp N, Sander LE, Chaput C*, Opitz B*. Antibiotic treatment-induced secondary IgA-deficiency enhances susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. J Clin Invest. 2018;28:3535-3545. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci97065
Ruiz-Moreno JS, Hamann L, Shah JA, Verbon A, Mockenhaupt FP, Puzianowska-Kuznicka M, Naujoks J, Sander LE, Witzenrath M, Cambier JC, Suttorp N, Schumann RR, Jin L, Hawn TR, Opitz B, CAPNETZ Study Group. A common hypomorphic STING variant affects cGAS-dependent antibacterial defense and is associated with susceptibility to Legionnaires‘ disease in humans. PLOS Pathog. 2018;14:e1006829. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006829
