At the Pletzer Lab, we study how microorganisms drive the processes that lead to disease. Our research pays special attention to polymicrobial infections – situations where different microbial species live and interact within the same environment. These interactions can change how infections develop, spread, and respond to treatments.

We explore host–pathogen interactions using a combination of lab-based (in vitro) experiments and animal (in vivo) models. This helps us bridge the gap between controlled conditions and real-world infection complexity. Much of our work focuses on infections in skin wounds and the lungs, which often involve stubborn and treatment-resistant microbial communities.

By uncovering how microbes cooperate, compete, and adapt during infection, our goal is to inform new strategies for preventing and treating infectious diseases more effectively.