“Driven by a fascination for genetic material in all its forms, I use (e)DNA and RNA in a One Health framework to study microbes and animals in their environments, and how pathogens move between them.”

Dr. Alex Bossers (linkedin) is an associate professor in One Health microbial genomics at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) and former group lead at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. My background is in medical biochemistry, molecular cell biology and bioinformatics. I study DNA and RNA from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and vertebrates using metagenomics and eDNA alike techniques to assess cross-species interactions and pathogen transmission in One Health systems. Due to my broad interests and drive to innovate, I get typically involved in many multi-disciplinary projects. #OpenScienceAdvocate

I joined the One Health microbial agents group at the Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS, Utrecht University) full-time in March 2021 keeping a joint part-time position as initiator of the multi-omics expertise team at Wageningen BioVeterinary Research (part of Wageningen University and Research).

I have been a long time prioneer in the molecular (cell)biology of neurodegenerative prion diseases, which started with finishing his PhD in 1999 on the transmissibility and susceptibility of prion diseases at the molecular level (Utrecht University) and ended-up being a group and European projects lead in prion research for many years.

From molecular prion biology I moved into (meta)genomics and specialized himself in bioinformatics (MSc; University of Manchester, UK) and subsequently set-up and lead a group on multi-omics and data analytics at WBVR with specific focus on understanding disease pathogenesis and identification of vaccine- or diagnostic biomarkers. The last few years my research shifted towards molecular epidemiology and (meta)genomics applications to further unravel the signals coming from microbiomes, resistomes and pathobiomes in general.

My current cross-over position at IRAS and WBVR enables me to effectively combine research within the Human, Environmental and Animal pillars of One Health. Typical projects include the VGO3 project where metagenomics was used to identify and profile pathogens (bacterial, fungal and viral) on and around goat farms and its close environment, to identify links with acquired pneumonia in humans. Another focus field is the use and analysis of environmental DNA/RNA (eDNA/eNA) to assess routes of agent transmission and assess biosecurity in and around farms. And of course we try to wisely utilize artificial intelligence in its various forms.

I am listed on over 200 peer-reviewed publications, have a wide experience in setting-up and coordinating European and public-private partnership projects, chair the Dutch KNVM division microbial genomics, and I am involved in positioning the “health track” within the Dutch national eDNA (NeDNA) platform in statu constituendi. 

Besides his passion for research, he is a full-stack software developer for the Survivalrun Bond Nederland (part-time) and in his free-time he is a guitar-noise maker and addicted to ultra-trailing and adventure racing.