Lasse Andersson Kvich

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I have many years of experience in the field of microbiology, of which five years were as a research assistant at Costerton Biofilm Center at the University of Copenhagen. Here, we investigated biofilm properties to improve outcomes for patients with chronic infections. My current research is combining this interest in microbiology with a new specialty, colorectal cancer (CRC), where I am studying the relationship between microbiota and biofilm in relation to CRC. The connection between the gut microbiome and CRC carcinogenesis has recently gained much attention, and several bacterial species have been linked to CRC, including the oral pathogens Fusobacterium nucleatum and Bacteroides fragilis. During my Ph.D., we will investigate the in situ prevalence of Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum in primary tumors utilizing species-targetted fluorescent in situ hybridization. In addition, we will perform RNA sequencing to characterize the production of proteins (the transcriptome) as an expression of the activity in both bacteria and human cells. Characterization of the bacteria, i.e., how and where they are located, what they are doing, how they respond to treatment, and how they interact with the body’s cells, will, in the long run, increase our understanding and lead to new strategies for treating and predicting the development of CRC.

  • 2020-2022: Zealand University Hospital, Surgical Department

PhD student

  • 2016-2019: University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, ISIM, Costerton Biofilm Center

Research assistant

  • 2015-2016: Rigshospitalet, Department of Clinical Microbiology.

Research assistant 

  • 2014-2015: Rigshospitalet, Diabetes and Metabolism. Department of Endocrinology

(Bio)medical Laboratory Technologist – part time

  • 2013-2014: Rigshospitalet, Department of Clinical Microbiology.

(Bio)medical Laboratory Technologist – part time

  • 2010-2013: Rigshospitalet Department of Clinical Microbiology.

(Bio)medical Laboratory Technologist

2013 – 2015      MSc in Health Science.

2006 – 2010     Bachelor of Medical laboratory Technology. Clinical stay at Dept. of Biochemistry (Glostrup Hospital) and Dept. of Microbiology (Rigshospitalet)

  • 2015: Experimental Molecular Medical Microbiology
  • 2015: Bacterial Biofilms and Their Role in Chronic Infections.
  • 2015: Animal science – FELASA C (EU function ABD)
  • 2012: Course in molecular analytic principles focusing on DNA sequencing and data interpretation.
  • 2012 Course in MALDI Biotyper (MALDI-TOF MS analysis).

The aim of this PhD project is to contribute to understanding the bacterial role in colorectal cancer carcinogenesis by visual and molecular approaches. Characterization of the bacteria i.e. what they are doing, how they respond to treatments and how they are interplaying with human cells will improve our understanding and lead to new strategies to treat and predict development of cancer. Bacteria and their structural composition, including biofilm, will be visualized by means of advanced microscopy (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization) where species and genus levels can be visualized with fluorescent probes. This will allow us to investigate if there is a bacterial “fingerprint” that is correlated to either treatment or disease. At the same time, transcriptome analysis of both bacteria and human cells will help elucidate whether there is a pattern of gene expression that is correlated to either treatment or disease. My hope is that the results can be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers for patients with colorectal cancer.

 

Research keywords

#Biofilm #Colorectal Cancer #RNA Sequencing #FISH Microscopy 
LAST UPDATE: NOV 2022