NEWS & ACTIVITIES
2024
21/10/2024: Kiel Greifswald Alliance Award
We were awarded the Kiel Greifswald Alliance Award together with Sven Hammerschmidt to combine single-molecule microscopy and Streptococcus pneumoniae cell surface biology.
11/10/2024: New ANR/DFG grant Glutactino
Together with the groups of Marco Bellinzoni (Institut Pasteur, Paris) and Michael Bott (FZ Juelich) we were awarded a new ANR-DFG grant (GlutActino) to study the "Metabolism of actinobacteria: Exploring the connections between the complex hybrid PDH-ODH, the GlnH- signaling cascade GlnX-PknG-OdhI and the glutamate exporter MscCG". This is a great opportunity to work with experienced labs in the field of corynebacterial metabolism and bring in our expertise in single-molecule microscopy.
03/09/2024: New DFG single grant
We were awarded a new DFG grant (BR2915/13-1) to study the "Molecular mechanisms of a bacterial dynamin-like protein in phage defense". We are looking forward to further investigate this fascinating protein in B. subtilis.
02/09/2024: New publication from a joined project with the Thanbichler lab in Marburg
In this research article published in Nature Communications, Giacomo, Fabian and Marc collaborated with the Thanbichler lab. With the help of single-molecule tracking, we could demonstrate how an outer membrane complex restricts the movement of the cell wall synthesis machinery that helps Rhodospirillum rubrum to form a spiral shaped cell body. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51790-z.
19/07/2024: Manuela Weiß successfully defended her PhD thesis
Manu succesfully defended her PhD, with her thesis titled: "Characterization of the SMC-like plasmid defense system MksBEFG (a Wadjet type I system) of Corynebacterium glutamicum". In her central first author publication (DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad130), Manu investigated the MksBEFG proteins, indentifying the Mks system as a bacterial plasmid defense system. Congratulations, Manu!
10/07/2024: Manuela Weiß won a publication price of Kiel University
Manu was awarded for spearheading her first author publication with the title: The MksG nuclease is the executing part of the bacterial plasmid defense system MksBEFG" (DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad130), which was published in "Nucleic Acids Research". Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Manu!
Link: https://www.uni-kiel.de/de/detailansicht/news/115-matnat-preisverleihung
20/06/2024: Marc Bramkamp newly elected as member of the senat at Kiel University
Marc was voted as a Senat member of Kiel University. Congratulations, Marc!
25/04/2024: Fabian Meyer successfully defended his PhD thesis
Fabian finished his PhD by successfully defending his thesis titled: "Understanding the growth of Corynebacterium glutamicum". In his main publication, he unraveled details of the division and growth mode of Corynebacterium glutamicum, while he supported more than half a dozen of publications with data and analyses during his PhD. Congratulations, Fabi!
22/04/2024: Review by Fabian and Marc published
In this new review on cell wall synthesizing complexes in Mycobacteriales, Fabian and Marc summarize latest findings of the unique cell wall synthesis of Mycobacteria and related organisms. Published in Current Opinion in Microbiology, DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102478
01/04/2024: Marc is the new IFAM director
Marc takes over the role of the managing director of the Institute of general Microbiology.
19/03/2024: Abigail Savietto Scholz successfully defended her PhD thesis
Abigail concluded her PhD by successfully defending her thesis titled: "Characterization of SPFH domain
containing proteins in Bacillus subtilis". During her PhD, she investigated proteins with an SPFH domain like Flotilins in B. subtilis, a conserved family of proteins known for their influence on cell wall physiology and lipid ordering. Congratulations, Abi!
2023
24/11/2023: DFG-Fachkollegienwahl 2023 (Confirmed in 2024)
Marc was elected into the DFG review board for the panel Microbiology, Virology and Immunology. Congratulations, Marc!
10/11/2023: New publication about the effects of benzothiazinone and ethambutol on the corynebacterial cell envelope.
In this paper, Fabian and colleagues analyzed the effects of the anti-tuberculosis drug benzothiaszinone on the cell envelope of Corynebacterium glutamicum. The paper contains amazing electron microscopy images taken by Urska Repnik from the central microscopy facility in Kiel. Published in Cell Surface; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcsw.2023.100116
31/08/2023: New SEM Microscope
The Central Microscopy facility operates a new scanning electron microscope (Zeiss Sigma 300).
20/07/2023: Geco meeting
Two day workshop in Burghausen on Corynebacterial research.
13-14/06/2023: Lab retreat
Lab Retreat to Wittmoldt Manor House.
27/05/2023: New Review on bacterial membrane dynamics
In this Review, Marc and Dirk-Jan Scheffers (University of Groningen) not only summarize the latest findings and the fuctional importance of the plasma membrane in bacteria, they also deep-dive into the enigmatic bacterial flotilins and dynamins, a set of proteins involved in membrane compartmentalization, membrane repair and remodelling and possibly much more. Published in Wiley Molecular microbiology; https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.15077
4/05/2023: New review on B. subtilis
In this minireview, Marc and fellow B. subtilis experts discuss and summarize the importance of Bacillus as a model organism and biotechnology workhorse. Furthermore, it allowed our PhD student Sarah Baur to land the title image of the current volume of the "Journal of Bacteriology". Congratulations, Sarah!
24/04/2023: New publication on the MksBEFG bacterial defense system in C. glutamicum
In a collaborative effort with other lab members and experts from the Institut Pasteur, our PhD student Manuela spearheaded this characterization of the bacterial blasmid defense system MksBEFG. She was able to demonstrate that MgsG is a nuclease able to degrade invading plasmid DNA. Furthermore, Single molecule microscopy was utilized to reveal the involvment of the polar scaffolding protein DivIVA in spatially regulating the Mks system. Published in Nucleic Acids Research, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkad130
07/03/2023: New publication on chromosome organisation in Mycobacteria
In this publication, our colleagues from Wrocław were able to unravel more details of the roles of the proteins HubP and mIHF in chromosome organization of Mycobacterium smegmatis, a close relative of the causative agent for tuberculosis, M. tuberculosis. We were able to support their claims with single particle tracking data.
Published in Frontiers in Microbiology, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1146406
6-10/02/2023: Goa, India
Marc participates as invited speaker at the EMBO Workshop on “Bacterial morphogenesis, survival and virulence: Dynamic genomes & envelopes".
2022
18/10/2022: Scanning EM in Microscopy facility
The Central Microscopy Core Facility officially starts using the new scanning EM (Zeiss Sigma 300 VP).
16/09/2022: New publication
By contribution single-molecule localization microscopy data to our collaborators from the Boshart lab, we were able to help understanding how the flagellar tip is involved in signaling that specifically controls migration and transmission of African trypanosome. Published in Nature communications, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33108-z
05-06/09/2022: Lab retreat
Lab Retreat to Wittmoldt Manor House together with the group of Javier Lopez Garrido.
01/09/2022: New PhD student Kartikeyan
Kartikeyan Premrajka funded by the IMPRS (MPI Plön) has started his PhD in our lab. Welcome in Kiel and in our group Kartikeyan.
19-23/06/2022: ISBA 2022
Giacomo and Marc participate in the International Society for the Biology of Actinomycetes (ISBA) meeting in Toronto, Canada.
30/01/2022: New publication on DivIVA in B. subtilis and C. glutamicum
In a joint effort, our group investigated and compared the scaffolding protein DivIVA from two bacteria. With the help of super resolution microscopy and single particle tracking, we demonstrate differences in dynamics and oligomerization behaviour, resultion in fundamentally different functions of the protein between the organisms. Published in Genes (MDPI), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13020278
2021
26/11/2021: Talk
Marc gives an invited talk at the retreat of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin. Great to discuss some fantastic science in a nice place.
04/10/2021: New publication
Our joined publication with Chase Broedersz and Joris Messelink on Corynebacterium cell growth is published in eLife.
Using time-lapse imaging of cell growth in microfluidic chambers and single-cell growth inference we discovered asymptotic linear growth in Corynebacterium. This mode of growth helps to maintain cell length distribution even on the absence of regulatory proteins such as the Min system. https://elifesciences.org/articles/70106
24/09/2021: New publication
We contributed with some single-molecule microscopy data to a nice collaborative effort on the CTPase function of ParB. The study was spearheaded by the Thanbichler and Bange labs and is now online in Mol. Cell. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2021.09.004
06/03/2021: Molecular powerhouse of the cell division motor
Interdisciplinary research teams from the Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry and the Institute of General Microbiology at Kiel University show that dynamic proteins can deform the cell membrane of bacterial cells and thus initiate cell division.
Press release CAU Kiel, https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/university/details/news/124-ramirez-naturecomms
2020
07/15/2020: How proteins regulate the outer envelope of bacterial cells
Research team in Kiel has identified the involvement of so-called flotillin proteins in the fluidization of bacterial cell membranes
Press release CAU Kiel, https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/university/details/news/173-zielinska-elife
03/20/2020: New piece of the puzzle in the architecture of life
Kiel research team investigates previously-unknown reproduction mechanism in the biotech-relevant bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum.
Press release CAU Kiel, https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/university/details/news/083-bramkamp-naturecomms
2019/2018
Publication on bacterial dynamin-like proteins revealing the mechanisms for membrane fusions
Marc Bramkamp, Nature Communications, volume 9, Article number: 3993 (2018)
DFG grant
on chromosome organization and segregation in Corynebacterium glutamicum
EMBO Workshop: DNA replication, chromosome segregation and fate decisions
Participation by Kati, 17.-21.09.2018