Jens Kreth

Jens Kreth is a Professor at Oregon Health & Science University, where he leads research at the intersection of oral microbiology, biofilm biology, and infectious disease ecology. His work focuses on the molecular and ecological mechanisms governing polymicrobial oral biofilms, including the spatial organization of species via fluorescence in situ hybridization and the role of extracellular membrane vesicles in host-microbe interactions. Recent breakthroughs include demonstrating that *Streptococcus sanguinis* vesicles protect gingival epithelial cells from periodontal pathobiont damage and stratifying *Fusobacterium nucleatum* subspecies by oral health status, with implications for disease-associated microbiome shifts. His research integrates clinical sampling, comparative genomics, and materials science to understand how environmental factors shape inflammophilic communities.