New Junior Research Group led by Katarzyna Jobin
07/18/2025Biologist Katarzyna Jobin and her newly established team are exploring immune – extracellular matrix dynamics in the urinary tract. The group recently commenced its work at both the Chair of Microbiology and the Chair of Systems Immunology at the University of Würzburg.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide. They are typically caused by Escherichia coli, a pathogen that is developing more and more resistance to antibiotics. As a result, there is a pressing need for innovative, host-targeted therapies to combat UTIs. Especially because the more severe cases contribute significantly to sepsis development.
“Our research aims to uncover how the urinary tract defends itself against ascending bacterial infections—especially before they reach the kidneys or enter the bloodstream,” explains Katarzyna Jobin.
Understanding and Treating Urinary Tract Infections
To counter such threats, the urinary tract relies on a sophisticated network of defense mechanisms. The group’s research focuses on two of these key protective components: the extracellular matrix and immune cells that detect and neutralize invading bacteria.
“Using advanced imaging technologies and flow cytometry, we study how these components interact. Our goal is to lay the foundation for the development of novel host-directed therapies,” says Katarzyna Jobin.
About Katarzyna Jobin
Katarzyna Jobin studied biology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. During her research stay at the University of Virginia, she focused on Treg role in acute kidney injury. She completed her PhD on “Influence of high salt diet on immune response in pyelonephritis” at the University of Bonn, where she also pursued postdoctoral research. In 2019, she joined the team of Prof. Wolfgang Kastenmüller at the Max Planck Research Group for Systems Immunology as a postdoctoral researcher, where she mastered advanced imaging techniques.
Katarzyna Jobin is affiliated with two chairs at the University of Würzburg. Her research group is based at the Chair of Microbiology at the Biocenter and closely collaborates with the Chair of Systems Immunology.
Research Website Microbiology: https://www.biozentrum.uni- wuerzburg.de/mikrobio/arbeitsgruppen/dr-katarzyna-jobin/
Research Website Systems Immunology: https://www.med.uni-wuerzburg.de/systemimmunologie/forschung/jobin-lab/
