NEWS & ACTIVITIES
2023
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