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GRK 1708:  Molecular Principles of Bacterial Survival Strategies

Subject Area Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
Term from 2012 to 2021
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 174858087
 
Final Report Year 2021

Final Report Abstract

The topic of this research-training group (RTG), the molecular principles of bacterial survival strategies, addressed questions of central relevance in Microbiology. In order to use beneficial bacteria or to control pathogens, we need to understand how bacteria can survive in their natural environments. Whereas classic laboratory studies cultivate bacteria under optimal conditions where they grow exponentially, in most natural settings conditions prevail that - at least transiently - supress growth, damage cells, or prevent the colonization of habitats through competing organisms or host defense-systems. This selective pressure throughout bacterial evolution resulted in highly efficient strategies that enabled bacteria to endure or overcome unfavourable conditions and remain essential to successfully occupy ecological niches and to colonize new habitats and hosts. This makes the topic of great relevance to many fields in Microbiology, in basic and applied aspects, including bacterial ecology and physiology, biotechnology or medical microbiology. Therefore, it seemed to us a perfect umbrella to combine research from these diverse fields and to create synergies and added value. During the 9 years of funding, 13 PhD students were constantly funded by the DFG and additionally one Postdoc in the second funding period. Research within the RTG focussed on two principal project areas: Projects in area A addressed survival strategies that are based on intrinsic cellular processes, in particular specific adaptations of bacterial metabolism to overcome limitations. Project area B focused on survival strategies that are based on the synthesis of bioactive compounds, enabling survival against competitors in the environment. The RTG served as a highly collaborative consortium, combining members with microbiological expertise from very diverse fields, including molecular genetics, bacterial physiology, biophysics, bioinformatics, organic chemistry, and including cutting edge technologies and rapidly evolving methods of the post-genome era. This concept led to outstanding results, which would not have been obtained without this coordinated program. To name a few examples, the RTG identified novel bioactive molecules, such as the novel antibiotic lugdunin and the intriguing herbicidal antimetabolite 7-desoxisedoheptullose. Furthermore, novel metabolic pathways for the use of toxic compounds such as polyamines were discovered, and a powerful model system was established to study bacterial persistence and the awakening of dormant cells, which identified a genetically encoded cellular program of resuscitation from dormancy. This success can be ascribed to highly motivated students, who received in depth training in the frame of the RTG study program. Overall, this RTG strongly contributed to push forward the important research field of bacterial survival strategies and had a major impact on the development of microbiological research and PhD training at the University Tübingen.

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