Bacteriology

Despite their minuscule size and relatively simple structure, bacteria are one of the most successful organisms on Earth having colonised every ecological niche. Their actions shape all forms of life; however, their impact can be either beneficial or detrimental dependent on the circumstances. It is therefore crucial to uncover the underlying biological principles and molecular mechanisms in order to better manage the impact that bacteria have. Their simplistic nature and genetic tractability combined with the conservation of many fundamental molecular processes also makes bacteria an ideal model for biological questions that are difficult to address in more complex higher organisms. 

Our investigators study a wide range of bacteria to better understand bacterial photosynthesis and membrane dynamics, the biochemical and biophysical principles of bacterial cell shape and size control, bacterial secretion systems and DNA replication, the structure and function of microbial communities, cooperative and harmful host-microbe relationships as well as the fundamental mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and bacterial adaptation. We also use synthetic biology to engineer cells and cell-free systems for the sustainable production and discovery of chemicals and bioproducts.   A modern multidisciplinary approach involving molecular cell biology combined with state-of-the-art fluorescence imaging, structural and synthetic biology, as well as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, computer simulations and mathematical modelling enables our investigators to reveal fundamental principles of bacterial processes and their consequences across the scales from single molecules and subcellular complexes to individual cells and community level microbiomes.