Elisabeth Grohmann

Elisabeth Grohmann is a Professor of Microbiology at the Berlin University of Technology (Department of Life Sciences and Technology) and holds concurrent roles as a Professor and Group Leader in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital Freiburg. Her career includes positions such as Visiting Researcher at the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and postdoctoral fellowships in Spain and Austria. She specializes in microbial genetics, conjugative plasmids, antibiotic resistance, and environmental microbiology. Her research focuses on mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer, biofilm formation, and the impact of wastewater irrigation on microbial communities.

Education: PhD in Molecular Biology (Graz University of Technology, 1994), Habilitation in Molecular Biology (Technical University of Berlin, 2003).

Research Interests: Conjugative plasmid transfer in Gram-positive bacteria, antibiotic resistance dissemination, microbial biofilms, environmental microbiology, and pathogen adaptation in extreme environments such as space habitats. She leads the AG Grohmann lab, which investigates antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and develops novel antimicrobial surface coatings.

Publications: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles, including studies on type IV secretion systems, AGXX antimicrobial coatings, and the role of wastewater irrigation in ARG spread. Key contributions include identifying TraG/TraM proteins in Enterococcus conjugation and demonstrating the efficacy of AGXX coatings against multi-resistant pathogens.

Lab Members: PhD students (e.g., Michelle Bölcke, Florian Martin), postdocs (Leila Soufi, Daniela Wischer), and collaborations with institutions like the University of Freiburg and the ISS space mission teams.