Work experience

Since 2022 - Scientific leader of the HERA-WGS 2 project consortium with Croatia, Greece, Hungary (~4.5 Mill. €)
Since 2021 - Scientific leader of the HERA-WGS project (~ 3 Mill. €)
Since 2020 - Scientific leader of the One health EJP FED-AMR project (~ 3.5 Mill. €)
Since 2019 - 1st Principal Expert, Whole genome sequencing, AGES
Since 2018 - Contributing partner One health EJP projects MEDVETKLEBS and LISTADAPT
Since 2017 - Member of ESCMID study groups (ESGEM, EFWISG, ESGMD)
Since 2017 - Main Supervisor ECDC/EUPHEM fellowship program
Since 2015 - Senior Expert, Division Public Health, AGES
Since 2014 - Venia Docendi at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
Since 2007 - Member of SeqNet
February 2005 – Research scientist and Group leader (Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Group Molecular Epidemiology) at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food safety

March 2000 to January 2005

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)
Representative for biological safety

Oct. 1997 to March 2000

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
 Leader of the “Chromosomal instability syndromes” group

April 1992 to April 1997

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
 Protein overexpression using procaryotic and eucaryotic models

Nov. 1990 to Dec. 1991

Diploma, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck
 enzyme assays
 cloning, sequencing
 teaching of undergraduate students

July 1990 to Sept. 1990

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

Education and Training

2017 Training for EUPHEM Fellowship program
27.08.2014 Venia Docendi, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences,

Department of Biotechnology

1992 – 1997 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

1990 – 1991 Diploma at the Institute of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck,

Austria

1988 – 1990 University education in Microbiology and Biochemistry, University

of Innsbruck

1986 – 1988 University education in Biology, University of Graz
1985 – 1986 University education in Technical Chemistry, Technical University of

Graz

1981 – 1985 Grammar School (concentration on science) Feldkirchen, Carinthia,

Austria

Most recent Publications

 Jesumirhewe C, Springer B, Allerberger F, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Genetic Characterization of Antibiotic
Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Isolates From Bovine Animals and the Environment in Nigeria. Front
Microbiol. 13:793541.
 Posautz A, Szostak MP, Cabal A, Allerberger F, Stoeger A, Rab G, Feßler AT, Spergser J, Küber-Heiss A,
Schwarz S, Forsythe SJ, Ruppitsch W, Loncaric I. (2022) Outbreak of Cronobacter turicensis in
European brown hares (Lepus europaeus). Lett Appl Microbiol. doi: 10.1111/lam.13685.
 Finsterwalder SK, Loncaric I, Cabal A, Szostak MP, Barf LM, Marz M, Allerberger F, Burgener IA, Tichy A,
Feßler AT, Schwarz S, Monecke S, Ehricht R, Ruppitsch W, Spergser J, Künzel F. (2022) Dogs as
carriers of virulent and resistant genotypes of Clostridioides difficile. Zoonoses Public Health. 69:673-681.
 Okafor AC, Ogbo FC, Cabal Rosel A, Stöger A, Akharaiyi FC, Prieto B, Allerberger F, Ruppitsch W.
(2022) Genome Sequence of OXA-726-Encoding Aeromonas dhakensis Igbk (Sequence Type 1171)
from an Edible Snail Traded in Nigeria. Microbiol Resour Announc. e0034322.
 Parra-Flores J, Holý O, Acuña S, Lepuschitz S, Pietzka A, Contreras-Fernández A, Chavarría-Sepulveda
P, Cruz-Córdova A, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Mancilla-Rojano J, Castillo A, Ruppitsch W, Forsythe S.
(2022) Genomic characterization of Cronobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. strains isolated from
powdered infant formula in Chile. Front Microbiol. 13:884721.
 Okafor AC, Cabal Rosel A, Ogbo FC, Stöger A, Allerberger F, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Draft Genome
Sequence of Citrobacter cronae Awk (Sequence Type 880), Associated with Edible Snails Commercially
Available in Awka, Nigeria. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2022 Oct 20;11(10):e0063422.
 Schaeffer J, Lippert K, Pleininger S, Stöger A, Hasenberger P, Stadlbauer S, Heger F, Eigentler A,
Geusau A, Indra A, Allerberger F, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Rifampicin Resistance Associated with rpoB
Mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Clinical Strains Isolated in Austria, 2016 to 2020. Microbiol Spectr.
10:e0275721.
 Schaeffer J, Lippert K, Pleininger S, Stöger A, Hasenberger P, Stadlbauer S, Heger F, Eigentler A,
Geusau A, Indra A, Allerberger F, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Association of Phylogenomic Relatedness
among Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strains with Antimicrobial Resistance, Austria, 2016-2020. Emerg Infect
Dis. 28:1694-1698.
 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.
 Okafor AC, Cabal Rosel A, Ogbo FC, Stöger A, Allerberger F, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Draft Genome
Sequence of Citrobacter cronae Awk (Sequence Type 880), Associated with Edible Snails Commercially
Available in Awka, Nigeria. Microbiol Resour Announc. e0063422.
 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.
 Daza Prieto B, Raicevic N, Ladstätter J, Hyden P, Jovanovic A, StögerA, Cabal Rosel A, Mach RL,
Ruppitsch W, Martinovic A. (2022) Draft Genome Sequence of Enterococcus dispar CoE-457-22,
Isolated from Traditionally Produced Montenegrin Dry Sausage. Microbiol Resour Announc. e0103822.
 Jesumirhewe C, Abdusalam AO, Ruppitsch W. (2022) Whole Genome Sequencing of Antibiotic
Resistant Genes in Isolates from Surfaces in a Science Laboratory. Turk J Pharm Sci. 19:681-685.
 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. accepted
 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. (2023) Enterococcus montenegrensis sp. nov. isolated from artisanal Montenegrin dry sausage. Int J
Syst Evol Microbiol. submitted