Axel A. Brakhage

Professor Axel A. Brakhage is Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) in Jena and Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Biology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. He heads the Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology at Leibniz-HKI and serves as Acting Head of the Anti-infectives Transfer Group. Professor Brakhage also holds significant leadership positions including Vice President of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and Chairman of Section 13 "Microbiology and Immunology" in the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

His academic journey began with a Dr. rer. nat. in Microbiology from the University of Münster and Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC) Paris in 1989. After positions at BASF AG, the University of Sheffield, and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, he became Professor of Microbiology at Technical University of Darmstadt (1998-2001), Leibniz University Hannover (2001-2004), and finally at Friedrich Schiller University Jena since 2004.

Professor Brakhage's research focuses on the infection biology of human-pathogenic fungi, particularly Aspergillus fumigatus, which can cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. His work spans molecular biotechnology of microbial agents, microbial communication, and eukaryotic gene regulation. He investigates how fungi interact with host organisms, develop resistance to antifungal drugs, and communicate within microbial communities. His research on the lung microbiome has revealed how A. fumigatus infection disrupts microbial balance, leading to enrichment of anaerobic bacteria.

Professor Brakhage has received numerous prestigious awards including the Ferdinand Cohn Medal of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (2024), the Heinz-Seeliger Preis für Infektionsbiologie (2006), and election to both the American Academy of Microbiology (2017) and European Academy of Microbiology (2015). His recent publications (2024-2025) focus on transcription factors in antifungal resistance, fungal effectors that penetrate phagosome membranes, and microbial signaling compounds that shape microbiome composition. These works demonstrate his continued leadership in advancing our understanding of fungal pathogenesis and host-microbe interactions.

As a dedicated mentor and leader, Professor Brakhage has supervised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. He served as spokesperson for the Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC) Graduate School of Excellence from 2007-2017 and for the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" until 2022. He is also a founding member of INCATE (Incubator for Antibacterial Therapies in Europe), demonstrating his commitment to translating basic research into practical solutions for antibiotic resistance.