Home Emeritae & Emeriti Departments Max Planck Research Groups Emmy Noether Research Group Department-independent Research Groups Emeritae & Emeriti Max Planck Fellows Former Research Group Leaders Research Cooperations Emeritae & Emeriti Ralf Conrad, former director of the Department of Biogeochemistry, studied soil microorganisms involved in biogeochemical processes and trace gas exchange (CH₄, N₂O, H₂) between soil and atmosphere, using flooded rice fields as a model for climate-relevant processes. Regine Kahmann, former director of the Department of Organismic Interaction, used Ustilago maydis to investigate how fungi infect plants, suppress plant immunity, and influence plant processes, identifying proteins that are important for pathogenicity. Lotte Søgaard-Andersen, former director of the Department Ecophysiology, used Myxococcus xanthus to investigate bacterial adaptation and differentiation. The research focused on signal transduction pathways controlling differentiation, motility, and the cell cycle. In parallel, they studied molecular mechanisms of motility and cell division. Rudolf K. Thauer, former director of the Department of Biochemistry, studied the energy metabolism of anaerobic microorganisms, focusing on enzymes and coenzymes of clostridia, sulfate-reducing, methanogenic, and methanotrophic species.
