Research cooperations

The "Microcosm Earth Center" builds on the long-standing, successful cooperation between the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the Philipps-Universität Marburg. It sets the stage for an early identification and development of new research topics and aims for the training and promotion of outstanding young talents in the field of microbiology. In a highly collaborative environment equipped with state-of-the-art research technology, the members of the center are working on finding solutions for the major challenges of our time.
Steering Committee: Tobias Erb, Victor Sourjik, Olalla Vazquez, Martin Thanbichler
Participants from MPI-TM: Martina Preiner

The Priority Program SPP2389 aims at establishing the concept of bacteria as multicellular microorganisms that live at least transiently stable and highly organized in tissue-like populations that exhibit properties and physiological features that go beyond the single cell. This concept rests on two pillars: (i) The FORM, that is, the spatiotemporal positioning of phenotypically specialized cells in stable filaments or tissue-like aggregates. This form then provides a cellular framework for (ii) the emergence of unique and altogether multicellular FUNCTIONS that only occur and/or exclusively make sense in the multicellular context.
Period of funding: 10/01/2022 - 09/30/2025
Speaker: Thorsten Mascher, Technische Universität Dresden
Participant from MPI-TM: Ilka Bischofs-Pfeifer

Forests fulfill essential climate functions and are economically important. They harbor an immense variety of microorganisms, exhibiting enormous biochemical and physiological diversity. The Tree-M research cluster funded by the LOEWE excellence program of the State of Hesse investigates the complex network of microbial interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment in the tree phyllosphere. This interdisciplinary research cluster joins forces of academic groups from the fields of microbiology, biochemistry, ecology, geography, and bioinformatics. Research activities bridge scales from individual bacterial cells (molecular mechanisms of bacterial enzymes, metabolic activities, and their regulation) to microbial communities (interactions within the leaf microbiome and with the abiotic environment) and cross-kingdom organismic interaction networks (microbiota-leaf-herbivore interactions) in cultivation systems in the laboratory and in tree canopies in the forest.
Speaker: Anke Becker, Philipps-Universität Marburg; Nina Farwig, Philipps-Universität Marburg; Tobias Erb, MPI-TM
Period of funding: 01/01/2023 - 12/31/2026
Participants from MPI-TM: Tobias Erb, Helge Bode, Nicole Paczia, Johannes Rebelein more

The research project "Diffusible Signals" aims to investigate and modify a central basis of infection processes: the communication between bacteria and human inflammatory cells. Together, physicians, biologists and computer scientists are investigating the exchange of soluble (diffusible) signals at the interfaces between clinically important bacteria and inflammatory cells. New insights into infection processes can help develop new targeted therapies that strengthen human immune defenses and weaken bacterial attack.
Speaker: Bernd Schmeck, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Period of funding: 01/01/2021 - 12/31/2024
Participants from MPI-TM: Victor Sourjik more

In this research project it is investigated how a particular group of bacteria evolved an unusually powerful flagellum and in the process acquired many new motor components. The goal is to create a visually detailed history of how this machine evolved step-by-step, similar to how evolution of the vertebrate eye or limb can be followed through their different evolutionary stages in the fossil record.
Period of funding: 08/01/2021 - 07/31/2024
Participant from MPI-TM: Georg Hochberg (Speaker) more

In our cells, proteins carry out processes that sustain life. Most act in assemblies, which can be very complex – being made up of mixed numbers or types of proteins. We will explore the evolutionary processes that generate and maintain this complexity. We will examine how different types of entropy – nature’s tendency towards disorder – shaped and constrained the evolution of extraordinarily complicated protein assemblies in the history of the small Heat-Shock Proteins, an important class of stress-response proteins. This work will shed new light on the evolutionary processes that generate and preserve biological complexity at the molecular scale.
Period of funding: 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2024
Speaker: Justin Benesch, University of Oxford
Participant from MPI-TM: Georg Hochberg more

Current cancer treatments induce severe side effects which could be minimized by a more localized and specific medical therapy. Bacteria possess an elegant solution for delivery of agents such as proapoptotic proteins into tumour cells - microinjection devices like the type III secretion system (T3SS). The well-characterised T3SS can directly inject cargo of functional therapeutic proteins into the eukaryotic cytoplasm, enabling protein replacement, cellular reprogramming, nanobody delivery, and even gene editing. Its spatial and temporal activity can be precisely controlled by external illumination. This project aims to harness predatory bacteria as a new chassis for drug delivery via microinjection by T3SS. Predatory bacteria like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus kill other Gram-negative bacteria, meaning they are non-pathogenic towards human cells. B. bacteriovorus possesses highly attractive properties for drug delivery like small size, active swimming and gliding motility, chemotaxis, low innate immunogenicity, and prolonged survival in human serum. Further, multiple studies indicate its safe use in animals. We aim to repurpose the naturally evolved hunter B. bacteriovorus to target eukaryotic cells by genetic engineering to enable assembly and application of a T3SS. Our approach may allow entirely new applications for targeted protein delivery and precisely controlled treatment of cancer.
Period of funding: 12/01/2021 - 05/31/2023
Participant from MPI-TM: Andreas Diepold (Collaboration with Prof. Simona Huwiler, University of Zurich, Switzerland)
  more

The LOEWE program is an excellence initiative of the state of Hesse to promote excellent research at Hessian universities and other research institutions. SYNMIKRO, the LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, was founded in 2010 as a cooperation center between Philipps University Marburg and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. To this end, more than 50 million euros in funding was received from 2010 to 2018. Since then, the center has grown steadily and has become a center of attraction for young and more experienced scientists from all over the world. In SYNMIKRO, Biologists, biochemists, physicists, mathematicians, bioinformaticians and bioethicists work together in - the research collaboration that is unique for Germany offers completely new opportunities to expand our understanding of the molecular basis and potential uses of microorganisms and to open up new applications. The Marburg researchers aim to design synthetic cells with tailored properties from standardized building blocks. These cells could be used, for example, to produce new drugs, chemicals, biofuels and food additives efficiently, cost-effectively and in an environmentally compatible manner.

Since 2003 the IMPRS in Marburg offers an international PhD programme with excellent research opportunities for young scientists from all over the world. The programme provides interdisciplinary training in modern microbiology, state-of-the-art research facilities, and mentoring by world class scientists. The school is a close collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the Philipps-Universität Marburg.