Dr Sophia Gessner
Affiliations
- Research Fellow, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
- UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit
Key Expertise
Anti-microbial Resistance, Bacterial Infections, Pathogenesis, TB
Main Research Focus
Sophia's current research interests lie in understanding aspects of mycobacterial biology that contribute to the transmission and acquisition of drug resistance that can improve Tuberculosis control measures. The first aspect she is interested in is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) transmission and determining if infectious M.tb bacilli have distinguishing morphological and/or physiological features. Additionally, her research efforts are heavily invested in understanding the dynamics of induced mutagenesis which has been extensively linked to drug resistance acquisition. She is part of the Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit (MMRU).
Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024
Persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis bioaerosol release in a tuberculosis-endemic setting.
Dinkele, R., Gessner, S., Patterson, B., McKerry, A., Hoosen, Z., Vazi, A., Seldon, R., Koch, A., Warner, D. F., & Wood, R. (2024)
TB comprises a spectrum of disease ranging from asymptomatic to symptomatic. Pathology is generally considered a prerequisite for Mtb transmission. However, a role for subclinical TB in Mtb transmission is becoming increasingly apparent. The exact contribution remains unknown. This work is of great significance because it illustrates that Mtb aerosolisation from asymptomatic carriers is common in high TB regions. It further highlights the need for more sensitive methods for detecting aerosolisation events since standard tests aren't sensitive enough to detect these events.