Marta obtained her Master’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Lisbon in 2018. She subsequently worked as a researcher for two years, contributing to projects ranging from host-pathogen interactions in Drosophila to the development of phage cocktails targeting antibiotic-resistant infections. In May 2020, she began her PhD at the Stecher Lab, focusing on gut bacterial evolution and its functional impact on colonization resistance against enteric pathogens. Her research integrates multi-omics approaches and involves both in vivo and in vitro experimental systems.
Fun Fact: Outside of her academic work, Marta enjoys swimming, playing the violin, and spending time with friends.
Educational background
Publications
Herp S, Durai Raj AC, Salvado Silva M, Woelfel S, Stecher B. The human symbiont Mucispirillum schaedleri: causality in health and disease. Med Microbiol Immunol. 2021 Aug;210(4):173-179. Epub 2021 May 22. PMID: 34021796. Doi: 10.1007/s00430-021-00702-9.
von Strempel A, Weiss AS, Wittmann J, Salvado Silva M, Ring D, Wortmann E, et al. (2023) Bacteriophages targeting protective commensals impair resistance against Salmonella Typhimurium infection in gnotobiotic mice. PLoS Pathog 19(8): e1011600. DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1011600
Woelfel S, Salvado Silva M, Stecher B. Intestinal colonization resistance in the context of environmental, host, and microbial determinants. Cell Host Microbe. 2024 Jun 12;32(6):820-836. PMID: 38870899. Doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.002.
