Jörg Vogel

Prof. Dr. Jörg Vogel is Director of the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg and Professor at the Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg. He is a leading figure in RNA biology and infection research, recognized with the 2017 Leibniz Prize. His work bridges molecular microbiology, high-throughput sequencing, and therapeutic development.

His research focuses on the RNA biology of bacterial infections, particularly regulatory and small RNAs, host-pathogen interactions, and the development of antisense-based antibiotics. He has pioneered methods like microbial MATQ-seq for single-cell transcriptomic profiling in bacteria.

The recent publications highlight a consistent research trajectory in bacterial transcriptomics, phage biology, and RNA-targeting therapeutics. Themes include antisense oligomers, small RNA function, ribosome hijacking by phages, and RNA stability dynamics in pathogens like Salmonella and Fusobacterium.

Scientific awards include:

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2017)

He mentors several students and postdocs, including Suyen Espinoza and Giorgia Danti, and leads collaborative projects, such as with the Maric Lab. His team is involved in major initiatives like the Single-Cell Center Würzburg and graduate programs in RNA & Infection. He also organizes scientific symposia such as ASOBIOTICS.

His research group is based at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, Germany, a leading institution combining RNA research with infection biology.