A groundbreaking discovery about how the bacterium Coxiella burnetii hijacks human cells has earned Dr. Arne Cordsmeier a prestigious prize, marking the first time the Pettenkofer Foundation has awarded a doctoral prize in this field. The research, which began in 2021, unveils a novel mechanism by which this pathogen creates a safe haven within our bodies.
Unlocking the Secrets of Q Fever
Understanding how Coxiella burnetii manipulates cells could lead to new therapies for Q fever, a disease transmitted from livestock to humans.
Dr. Cordsmeier’s doctoral work focused on the pathogenic effects of Coxiella burnetii, the bacterium responsible for Q fever. This clever pathogen uses a needle-like injection system – known as a type 4 secretion system (T4SS) – to deliver up to 150 different virulence factors into human cells. These factors essentially reprogram the cells to benefit the bacterium. While scientists knew how the bacterium did this, the specific functions of most of these “effector proteins” remained a mystery.
Dr. Cordsmeier’s research pinpointed that the C. burnetii-T4SS effector protein AnkG binds to a specific enzyme, DExD box helicase 21 (DDX21), and several ribonucleic acids within the host cell. This interaction disrupts the normal function of a complex involving ribonucleic acid and various proteins, causing significant changes in the host cell’s genetic activity. Ultimately, this manipulation ensures the bacterium’s survival and allows it to multiply efficiently. As Dr. Cordsmeier explained, this is “a novel mechanism with which infectious pathogens create a safe intracellular habitat.”
Award Ceremony in Munich
The Pettenkofer Foundation formally recognized Dr. Cordsmeier’s achievement at an award ceremony held on November 10, 2025, in Munich. Professor Dr. Christine Josenhans, from the Max von Pettenkofer Institute at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, praised the collaborative spirit that fueled the research. “In the best case scenario, it is a trusting and communicative collaboration between the doctoral student and the supervisor that produces great results. This is exactly what clearly happened in Dr. Cordsmeier’s doctoral thesis,” she stated during her laudatory speech.
The 1,000 euro prize was sponsored by Roche to support scientific research and the development of promising talent. Dr. Cordsmeier is now continuing his research as a postdoctoral fellow, focusing on herpes, smallpox, and emerging viruses in the working group of Professor Dr. Armin Ensser at the Virological Institute – Harald zur Hausen Institute for Virology at the University Hospital Erlangen.
- Dr. Arne Cordsmeier received the Pettenkofer Foundation’s first doctoral prize for his work on Q fever.
- The research identified how the bacterium Coxiella burnetii manipulates host cell genetics to ensure its survival.
- The study revealed that the AnkG protein plays a key role in this manipulation by interacting with DDX21 and ribonucleic acids.
- The findings could pave the way for new treatments targeting Q fever.
The original research can be found here.
