Werner RUPPITSCH
Univ.-Prof. Dr.

Tel.: +43 (0)512 9003-70707
E-Mail: werner.ruppitsch@i-med.ac.at

Venia Docendi, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department of Biotechnology

Ph.D. thesis, Free University Berlin, Institute of Biochemistry

Dissertation: Fanconi anemia: The molecular defect in oxygen metabolism

Project support:                          

1993 – 1996 Fritz Thyssen Foundation

1996 – 1997 Sonnenfeldt Foundation

1998 – 2000 Fritz Thyssen Foundation

2000 – 2001 Fritz Thyssen Foundation

Diploma at the Institute of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Austria

University education in Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck

University education in Biology, University of Graz

University education in Technical Chemistry, Technical University of Graz

Guest Prof. at the University of Donja Gorica, Faculty of Food Technology, Food Safety & Technology

Scientific advisor for EURL for Feeds for implementation of WGS based characterization of  probiotics

Scientific leader of the HERA 2- WGS project consortium with Croatia, Greece, Hungary (~5.6 Mill. €)

Scientific leader of the HERA 1 WGS project (~ 3 Mill. €)

Scientific leader of the One health EJP FED-AMR project (~ 3.5 Mill. €)

1^st Principal Expert, Whole genome sequencing, AGES

Contributing partner One health EJP projects MEDVETKLEBS and LISTADAPT

Member of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) study groups ESGEM, EFWISG, ESGMD

Nomination as main supervisor for Austria for the ECDC/EUPHEM fellowship program

Senior Expert, Division Public Health, AGES

Venia Docendi at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna

Member of SeqNet

Member of the Austrian Society of Hygiene, Microbiology and Prevention

Research scientist and Group leader (Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Group Molecular Epidemiology) at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food safety

Research scientist (molecular biological and biochemical unit) at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food safety (the former Federal Office and Research Center for Agriculture)

University assistant (full-time), Institute of Biochemistry, Free University Berlin

• Responsible for general organisation of the Department
• Education of students and supervising of undergraduate and Ph.D. students
• Responsible for scientific projects

University assistant (part time), Ph.D. thesis, Institute of Biochemistry, Free University Berlin

• Responsible for the equipment and general organisation of the new biochemistry department of Prof. Schweiger
• Teaching of students
• Protein purification
• Immunodetection of overexpressed and native proteins in cell culture and cellular extracts
• Development of enzyme assays (Phospholipide-Hydroperoxide-Glutathione-Peroxidase, Glutathione-S-Transferases, Cytochrome P-450 and Cytochrome P-450 Reductase, MDR-Proteins, Heme-oxygenase)
• Production and purification of polyclonal antibodies
• Protein interactions, Protein-DNA interactions
• DNA and RNA purification methods

Diploma, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck

• enzyme assays
• cloning, sequencing

Practical course in biochemistry/ molecular biology Friedrich-Miescher-Institute, Group Prof. Thomas Hohn, Basel, Switzerland

• Sequencing, cloning, expression studies
• Construction of different promotors for the use in expression studies in plant model systems
• Plant tissue culture, transfection

• Stessl B, Ruppitsch W, Wagner M. (2022) Listeria monocytogenes post-outbreak management - When could a food production be considered under control again? Int J Food Microbiol. 379:109844.
• Cabal A, Rab G, Daza-Prieto B, Stöger A, Peischl N, Chakeri A, Mo SS, Bock H, Fuchs K, Sucher J, Rathammer K, Hasenberger P, Stadtbauer S, Caniça M, Strauß P, Allerberger F, Wögerbauer M, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Characterizing Antimicrobial Resistance in Clinically Relevant Bacteria Isolated at the Human/Animal/Environment Interface Using Whole-Genome Sequencing in Austria. Int J Mol Sci. 23:11276.
• Lyman LR, Schaeffer J, Ruppitsch W, Schmitt MP. (2022) Analysis of the HbpA Protein from Corynebacterium diphteriae Clinical Isolates and Identification of a Putative Hemoglobin-Binding Site on HbpA. J Bacteriol. 8:e0034922.
• Parra-Flores J, Cabal-Rosel A, Daza-Prieto B, Chavarria P, Maury-Sintjago E, Rodriguez-Fernandez A, Acuna S, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Are Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus Isolated from Powdered Infant Formula a Hazard for Infants? A Genomic Analysis. Foods. 11:3556.
• Lakicevic B, Jankovic V, Pietzka A, Ruppitsch W. (2023) Wholegenome sequencing as the gold standard approach for control of Listeria monocytogenes in the food chain. J Food Protect. 86:100003.
• Gardner B, Betson M, Cabal Rosel A, Caniça M, Chambers MA, Contadini FM, Gonzalez Villeta LC, Hassan MM, La Ragione RM, de Menezes A, Messina D, Nichols G, Olivença DV, Phalkey R, Prada JM, Ruppitsch W, Santorelli LA, Selemetas N, Tharmakulasingam M, M van Vliet AH, Woegerbauer M, Deza-Cruz I, Lo Iacono G. (2023) Mapping the evidence of the effects of environmental factors on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the non-built environment: Protocol for a systematic evidence map. Environ Int. 171:107707.
• Wagner GE, Dabernig-Heinz J, Lipp M, Cabal A, Simantzik J, Kohl M, Scheiber M, Lichtenegger S, Ehricht R, Leitner E, Ruppitsch W, Steinmetz I. (2023) Real-Time Nanopore Q20+ Sequencing Enables Extremely Fast and Accurate Core Genome MLST Typing and Democratizes Access to High-Resolution Bacterial Pathogen Surveillance. J Clin Microbiol. 29:e0163122.
• Holý O, Parra-Flores J, Bzdil J, Cabal-Rosel A, Daza-Prieto B, Cruz-Córdova A, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Rodríguez-Martínez R, Acuña S, Forsythe S, Ruppitsch W. (2023) Screening of Antibiotic and Virulence Genes from Whole Genome Sequenced Cronobacter sakazakii Isolated from Food and Milk-Producing Environments. Antibiotics (Basel). 12:851.
• Jesumirhewe C, Cabal-Rosel A, Allerberger F, Springer B, Ruppitsch W. (2023) Genetic characterization of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. from Humans and Poultry in Nigeria. Access Microbiol. 5:acmi000509.v4.
• Bergmann F, Nussbaumer-Pröll, Wulkersdorfer B, Eberl S, Ruppitsch W, Lepuschitz S, Zeitlinger M. (2023) Antimicrobial activity and pathogen mutation prevention of originator and generics of cefepime, linezolid and piperacillin/tazobactam against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 34:179-185.
• João Cardoso M, Rouhani D, Cabal Rosel A, Daza Prieto B, Hopfgartner M, Stöger A, Hasenberger P, Stadlbauer S, Hyden P, Wiedermann U, Schmid D, Ruppitsch W. (2023) Complete Genome Sequence of Bordetella parapertussis Strain 400431-b Isolated from a Protracted Course of Whooping Cough in Austria, 2023. Microbiol Resour Announc. 29:e0097623.
• Parra-Flores J, Flores-Soto F, Flores-Balboa C, Alarcón-Lavín MP, Cabal-Rosel A, Daza-Prieto B, Springer B, Cruz-Córdova A, Leiva-Caro J, Forsythe S, Ruppitsch W. (2023) Characterization of Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus Strains Isolated from Powdered Dairy Products Intended for Consumption by Adults and Older Adults. Microorganisms. 11:2841.
• Monecke S, Braun SD, Collatz M, Diezel C, Müller E, Reinicke M, Cabal Rosel A, Feßler AT, Hanke D, Loncaric I, Schwarz S, Cortez de Jäckel S, Ruppitsch W, Gavier-Widén D, Hotzel H, Ehricht R.  (2024) Molecular Characterization of Chimeric Staphylococcus aureus Strains from Waterfowl. Microorganisms. 12:96.
• Loncaric I, Keinprecht H, Irimaso E, Cabal-Rosel A, Stessl B, Ntakirutimana C, Marek L, Fischer OW, Szostak MP, Oberrauch C, Wittek T, Müller E, Desvars-Larrive A, Feßler AT, Braun SD, Schwarz S, Ehling-Schulz M, Monecke S, Ehricht R, Ruppitsch W, Grunert T, Spergser J. Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nares of ruminants. J Appl Microbiol. 2023 Dec 30:lxad304. doi: 10.1093/jambio/lxad304. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38159931.
• Daza Prieto B, Raicevic N, Cabal A, Hyden P, Moesenbacher T, Ladstätter J, Richter S, Stoeger A, Marinho Dias Cardoso M, Chakery A, Hasenberber P, Stadlbauer S, Mach RL, Martinovic A, Ruppitsch W. (2024) Enterococcus montenegrensis sp. nov. isolated from artisanal Montenegrin dry sausage. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol.  DOI 10.1099/ijsem.0.006206
• Bünger M, Blümlinger M, Loncaric I, Cabal Rosel A, Ruppitsch W, Teich K, Kübber-Heiss A, Hennig-Pauka I, Ladinig A, Spergser J. (2024) Multilocus sequence typing schemes for the emerging swine pathogen Mycoplasma hyosynoviae. Vet Microbiol. 290:109997.
• Renzhammer R, Schwarz L, Cabal Rosel A, Ruppitsch W, Fuchs A, Simetzberger E, Ladinig A, Loncaric I. (2024) Detection of mcr-1-1 Positive Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolates Associated with Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in an Organic Piglet-Producing Farm in Austria. Microorganisms. 12:244.
• Daza Prieto B, Raicevic N, Hyden P, Mösenbacher T, Ladstätter J, Stöger A, Cabal A, Mach RL, Martinovic A, Ruppitsch W. (2024) Complete genome of Microbacterium plantarum CoE-159-22, isolated from traditionally produced Montenegrin cheese. Microbiol Resour Announc. 7:e0003524.
• Keinprecht H, Irimaso E, Cabal Rosel A, Stessl B, Ntakirutimana C, Marek L, Fischer OW, Szostak MP, Zöchbauer J, Wittek T, Müller E, Desvars-Larrive A, Feßler AT, Braun SD, Schwarz S, Spergser J, Ehling-Schulz M, Monecke S, Ehricht R, Ruppitsch W, Grunert T, Loncaric I. (2024) Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus associated with mastitis from dairy cows in Rwanda. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 36:326-335.
• Dabernig-Heinz J, Wagner G, Prior K, Lipp M, Kienesberger S, Ruppitsch W, Ronning T, Harmsen D, Steinmetz I, Leitner E. (2024) Core Multi Locus Sequence Typing (cgMLST) applicable to the monophylectic Klebsiella oxytoca Species Complex. J Clin Microbiol. accepted