VAAM-Jahrestagung 2012 18.–21. März in Tübingen

INSTITUTSPORTRAIT23Microbiology at the University of Tübingenó Today, Microbiology and Infection Biologyis one of the five research priorities of theUniversity of Tübingen, a result of steadilyincreasing activities in the past 50 years.Around 1960, the German Research Council(Wissenschaftsrat) advised the government toexpand university education, which in 1964resulted in the foundation of the first chair ofMicrobiology at the University of Tübingen.Hans Zähner, who led a group engaged inscreening for new antibiotics at the SwissFederal Institute of Technology of Zürich (ETHZurich), was appointed Professor. He establisheda large group, which worked on theisolation of biologically active secondarymetabolites from bacteria and fungi. He wasfor most of the time speaker of two CollaborativeResearch Centres (SFBs), “ChemicalBiology of Microorganisms“ and ”MicrobialFundamentals of Biotechnology”, which lastedfor 30 years. Scientists from different disciplines– microbiology, biochemistry, organicchemistry, pharmaceutical biochemistry,and botany – worked together on related subjects.In 1974, Volkmar Braun was appointedto a newly established second chair of microbiology,named “Microbiology/MembranePhysiology”. In 1987, Friedrich Götz wasappointed to a newly founded chair of “MicrobialGenetics” and Bernhard Schink becamesuccessor to Hans Zähner, who continued towork as Fiebiger Professor until he retiredin 1994. In 1994, Wolfgang Wohlleben followedBernhard Schink on the chair of“Microbiology/Biotechnology”. The chair of“Medical Microbiology” was filled in 2000with Ingo Autenrieth and 2003 AndreasPeschel was appointed Professor of “Cellularand Molecular Microbiology” in the Departmentof Medical Microbiology and Hygiene.In 2007, Volkmar Braun retired and took overa position as Max Planck Fellow at the MPIfor Developmental Biology. Karl Forchhammerbecame his follower on the chair nownamed “Microbiology/Organismic Interactions”.In 2008, Andreas Kappler wasappointed Professor for Geomicrobiology, afoundation of the Stifterverband in the GeosciencesDepartment. The close cooperationbetween the Natural Science Microbiologyand the Medical Microbiology led to the establishmentof the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiologyand Infection Medicine (IMIT) in2009. Rüdiger Hampp, chair of “PhysiologicalEcology of Plants” and engaged in rhizo -sphere bacteria research, and Dominik Hartl,A view accross the conference location “Morgenstelle” towards the “Schwäbische Alb”heading the Pediatric Infections Deseasesand Immunology Section and exploring infectionsin cystic fibrosis patients, joined theIMIT .Actually the SFB 766 “The Bacterial CellEnvelope: Structure, Function and InfectionInterface” and the Transregio TRR34 “Pathophysiologyof Staphylococci in the PostgenomicEra” join groups from the IMIT withgroups from the Max-Plank-Institute for DevelopmentalBiology (Andrei Lupas, Dirk Linke),groups from the departments of Chemistry,Pharmacy and Biochemistry and the UniversityHospital. Recently, a new research-traininggroup (GRK1708) on “Molecular Principlesof Bacterial Survival Strategies” wasgranted and will start in April 2012. In addition,numerous projects funded by the DFG,the BMBF, the State of Baden-Württemberg,and the EU are established in the area ofMicrobiology.Prof. Dr. Wolfgang WohllebenIMIT, Department of Microbiology/BiotechnologyThe major aim of the groups working in theMicrobiology/Biotechnology section is tounderstand the secondary metabolism (in particularthe antibiotic biosynthesis and resis -tance) in actinomycetes and its integration inthe general metabolism and biology of thesefilamentous soil bacteria. To achieve this goal,we are concentrating on the following topics:Glycopeptides (vancomycin, teicoplanin)are used as drugs of last resort to combat lifethreateninginfections caused by multiresistantGram-positive bacteria. We have elucidatedthe glycopeptide biosynthesis, selfresistance and precursor supply in the producerAmycolatopsis balhimycina in order togenerate novel derivatives and to devisestrategies for yield optimisation (EviStegmann).For the development of novel anti-infectiveswe employ the „Tübinger Stammsammlung“(initially built up by Prof. Zähner), which containspotent secondary metabolite producers.Using this collection we have solved thebiosynthesis of complex antibiotics such askirromycin and lysolipin in order to modifythese compounds to make them potentialdrugs. In addition, a bioinformatic pipelinewas developed which allows the identificationof biosynthetic pathways in wholegenome sequences and their use for predictionof the enzymatic reactions and the structuresof the compounds (Tilmann Weber).As a model system to study the evolution ofsecondary metabolite specific functions thephosphinothricin-tripeptide producer Streptomycesviridochromogenes is used. Its biosynthesisincludes steps which greatly resemblereactions of the primary metabolism such asan aconitase. These investigations revealedthat the aconitase has – in addition to its catalyticfunction – an important regulatory roleBIOspektrum | Tagungsband 2012