Bacterial Networks and Interactions

About

We study the interaction between bacteria and the viruses (phages) infecting them. Our goal is to gain fundamentally new insights into the bacterial immune system and to apply this knowledge for the development of innovative applications in synthetic biology and biotechnology. Furthermore, we are interested in the design and dynamics of complex regulatory networks enabling microorganisms to adapt to ever changing environments and to discriminate between ‘self’ and ‘foreign’. Microbial model hosts used in our laboratory include the biotechnological platform strain Corynebacterium glutamicum and Streptomyces – the source of most of our antibiotics.

Research Topics

Phage-host interaction: We study how phages target key regulatory hubs of the host cell and how bacteria protect themselves against this attack.

Gene regulatory networks: We study the design and architectures of regulatory networks enabling bacteria to respond to environmental stresses and to interact with other microbes.

Evolutionary engineering: We are harnessing the power of evolution for the development of microbial production strains by using synthetic regulatory circuits and transcription factor-based biosensors.

Further links:

Contact

Prof. Dr. Julia Frunzke

IBG-1

Building 15.4 / Room 239

+49 2461/61-5430

E-Mail

Bacterial Networks and Interactions Group 2023
Bacterial Networks and Interactions Group 2023

Members

Prof. Dr. Julia FrunzkeHead of Bacterial Networks and InteractionsBuilding 15.21 / Room 4028+49 2461/61-5430
Dr. Eva DavoudiScientific CoordinatorBuilding 15.21 / Room 4031+49 2461/61-84367

Postdocs

Philipp ErnstPostdocBuilding 15.21 / Room 4032+49 2461/61-84368
Dr. Aileen KrügerPostdocBuilding 15.21 / Room 4031+49 2461/61-84367
Tom LuthePostdocBuilding 15.21 / Room 4033+49 2461/61-84369
Larissa KeverPostdocBuilding 15.21 / Room 4033+49 2461/61-84369

Technicians

Doris Dohmen-OlmaTechnical staffBuilding 15.21 / Room R 4031+49 2461/61-84367
Cornelia GaetgensTechnicianBuilding 15.21 / Room 4033+49 2461/61-5446
Ulrike WeberTechnicianBuilding 15.21 / Room 4033+49 2461/61-84369

PhD students

Biel Badia RoigéPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4032+49 2461/61-84368
Patricia BlumPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4031+49 2461/61-84367
Sebastian ErdrichPhD StudentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4032+49 2461/61-84368
Moses KabuuPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4032+49 2461/61-84368
Mirco KeilhammerPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4031+49 2461/61-84367
Bente RackowPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4032+49 2461/61-84368

Student

Samy MechroukiMaster studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4031+49 2461/61-84367
Annika RitzerfeldBachelor studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4002+49 2461/61-84365

 

News and Highlights

October 2024

SPP 2330 second funding period launches with kick-off meeting

October 2024

Aileen publishes a paper in Microbial Cell Factories, doi: 10.1186/s12934-024-02556-1

September 2024

Tom wins prize for the best presentation at the Regulation in Microbes Conference, Michelsberg

September 2024

Sebastian and Tom publish a paper from the Going viral project in Phage, doi:  10.1089/phage.2024.0012

September 2024

Bente publishes a paper in Microbiology Spectrum, doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00663-24

August 2024

Larissa publishes a paper in Microlife, doi: 10.1093/femsml/uqae015

August 2024

Julia publishes an editorial overview in Current Opinion in Microbiology, doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102518

July 2024

Sebastian successfully defends his PhD. Congratulations!

more...

 

Last Modified: 06.02.2025