Institute for Molecular Bio Science

Research

Research

There are currently eleven working groups at the Institute; they investigate a wide variety of molecular aspects of life. This research primarily focuses on microorganisms and plants. Membrane Biology is traditionally one of the strongest areas at the Institute. In this context, the focal point is the analysis of the structure and function of membrane-bound proteins, as well as their regulation and participation in intracellular signalling cascades. In the field of Biotechnology, work is being conducted on the development of microbial cell factories using both classical and recombinant methods to bring about overproduction of a range of enzymes and chemicals. Another new aspect of this field is the identification, characterisation and application of new metabolites from the secondary metabolism of entomopathogenic microbes. Metabolic pathways are selectively altered, e.g. to produce biofuels or to develop therapeutic methods of improving cellular defence.

In Microbial Physiology the emphasis is on metabolic physiology, specifically on its regulation and genetic basis in the Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota. The results of this study form the basis of analysis by membrane biologists and biotechnologists, leading to close networking both within the faculty and beyond. Research topics in Molecular Plant Physiology are the energy metabolism of photosynthetic organisms and its underlying organelle interactions. Physiological, structural, biochemical and genetic investigation all play an important part in this research.

Degenerative Processes and Molecular Stress focuses on the investigation of molecular aging mechanisms, especially the role of mitochondria in the aging process, as well as the analysis of cellular responses to heat and light stress. The groups working on Protective Functions of Carotenoids are investigating the molecular mechanism of carotenoid function in strong light conditions, as well as in protection from reactive oxygen species and membrane damage caused by external factors. In the field of Regulatory RNAs, the research focuses on structural and functional analysis of regulatory non-coding RNAs and their interactions with proteins, as well as their biological functions and cellular regulation.

Research Objects

Department	Title	First Name	Surname
Biology and Biotechnology of Fungi	Prof.	Richard	Splivallo
Biology and Genetics of Procaryotes	Prof.	Jörg	Soppa
B iosynthesis in Plants und Microorganism	Prof.	Gerhard	Sandmann
Merck-Stiftungsprofessur Molecular Biotechnology	Prof.	Helge	Bode
Molecular Developmental Biology	Prof.	Heinz Dieter	Osiewacz
Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics	Prof.	Volker	Müller
Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics	Prof.	Beate	Averhoff
Molecular Cell Biology of Plants	Prof.	Enrico	Schleiff
mRNA-based gene regulation	Dr.	Andreas	Schlundt
Plant Cell Physiology	Prof.	Claudia	Büchel
Physiology and Genetics of Lower Eukaryotes	Prof.	Eckhard	Boles
RNA Structural Biology	Prof.	Jens	Wöhnert

Heads of the Departments

Title	First Name	Surname	Department

Prof.	Beate	Averhoff	Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics
Prof.	Helge	Bode	Merck-Stiftungsprofessur Molecular Biotechnology
Prof.	Eckhard	Boles	Physiology and Genetics of Lower Eukaryotes
Prof.	Claudia	Büchel	Plant Cell Physiology
Prof.	Volker	Müller	Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics
Prof.	Heinz Dieter	Osiewacz	Molecular Developmental Biology
Prof.	Gerhard	Sandmann	B iosynthesis in Plants und Microorganism
Prof.	Enrico	Schleiff	Molecular Cell Biology of Plants
Dr.	Andreas	Schlundt	mRNA-based gene regulation
Prof.	Jörg	Soppa	Biology and Genetics of Procaryotes
Prof.	Richard	Splivallo	Biology and Biotechnology of Fungi
Prof.	Jens	Wöhnert	RNA Structural Biology

Teaching

The Institute is involved the Bachelor's Programmes in Biological Sciences, Biophysics and Bioinformatics as well as in Teacher Education in Biological Sciences and in the biological training of medical science students. In addition, it offers two master's programmes, Molecular Biological Sciences and Molecular Biotechnology, as well as participating in interdisciplinary master's programmes.

Kolloquium

Sommersemester 2019

Die Vorträge finden jeweils um 17:15 Uhr statt.
The talks starts at 17:15
Ort: Biozentrum auf dem Campus Riedberg, Raum 260/3.13
Where: Campus Rieberg, Biocenter, Section of the Building 260 Room 3.13

Di. 07.05.2019	Dr. Christin Naumann
Biozentrum	Leibnitz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB)
	Phosphate Limitation Activates ER Stress-dependent Autophagy in Root Tips Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is essential for plant growth; however, its availability is often a most limiting factor in soil. In Arabidopsis, Pi limitation reshapes root architecture to favour topsoil foraging by attenuating primary root extension, stimulating lateral root development, and accelerating root hair formation. Primary root growth inhibition correlates with elevated Fe-dependent ROS generation and callose deposition in the root apical meristem and transition zone. Known proteins acting in the local phosphate response are the ER-resident P5 type ATPase, AtP5A/PDR2, and cell wall-targeted ferroxidases (LPR1, LPR2) which interact functionally and determine the root response to external Pi. Autophagy is an evolutionary conserved process for vacuolar degradation of cellular components and recycling of monomeric building blocks. While a function of autophagy in nutrient recycling is well established under C or N starvation, its role upon Pi deprivation remains to be clarified.

Di. 21.05.2019	Prof. Dr. Andreas Moeglich
Biozentrum	Universitat Bayreuth
	Controlling Nucleic-Acid-Based rocesses by Light

Di. 28.05.2019	Dr. Nicolai Müller
Biozentrum	Universität Konstanz
	Anaerobic degradation of C1 and C2 compounds via acetaldehyde in the syntrophic acetogen Thermacetogenium phaeum Degradation of organic compounds in acetogens in many cases occurs through acetyl-coenzyme A as central metabolite, which is funnelled into the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Acetaldehyde is one possible precursor for acetyl-coenzyme A and is especially occurring during oxidation of ethanol or ethanolamine. For the production or degradation of acetaldehyde, various microorganisms harbor two different enzyme systems, namely non-acetylating aldehyde dehydrogenase, which oxidizes aldehydes with ferredoxin as low potential electron carrier, or acetylating aldehyde dehydrogenase, catalyzing oxidation of aldehydes with NAD⁺ while transferring an acetyl-residue to coenzyme A. Proteome and enzyme assay analysis of the thermophile Thermacetogenium phaeum showed, that aldehyde:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (AOR), which is a non-acetylating aldehyde dehydrogenase, is highly abundant during degradation of methanol, ethanol, ethanolamine, or syntrophic oxidation of acetate in co-culture with Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus. In all cases, AOR oxidizes acetaldehyde with ferredoxin and the latter is provided for the reduction of CO₂. During degradation of these substrates in the model acetogen Acetobacterium woodii a Rnf-complex serves as ferredoxin-reducing enzyme system which catalyses the endergonic oxidation of NADH with ferredoxin at the expense of a sodium ion gradient. Such a Rnf-complex is absent in T. phaeum and here AOR takes over the function of providing reduced ferredoxin. In addition, AOR contributes to high-affinity acetaldehyde turnover thus favouring endergonic oxidation of ethanol. In that way however, acetaldehyde cannot be used for substrate level phosphorylation as in A. woodii. Alternative modes of energy conservation in both organisms are concluded from these findings.

Di. 04.06.2019	Prof. Dr. Dina Grohmann
Biozentrum	Regensburg
	Archaeal transcription and the archaeal transcriptome: more complex than we thought

Di. 02.07.2019	Dr. Janosch Hennig
Biozentrum	EMBL Heidelberg
	Integrative structural biology of protein-RNA complexes