Katharina Kohm

Dr. Katharina Kohm is a PostDoc researcher at the Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Germany, where she investigates molecular mechanisms of bacteriophage biology under Prof. Dr. Fabian M. Commichau's supervision. Her work centers on the SPβ phage infecting Bacillus subtilis, focusing on lysis-lysogeny decision systems and CRISPR-Cas9 applications in phage genomics.

Her educational trajectory includes:

• PhD thesis (2021-2024) at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and University of Hohenheim
• Master of Science (2018-2020) from Georg-August University Göttingen
• Bachelor of Science (2014-2018) from University of Applied Science Biberach

Dr. Kohm's research integrates structural biology, molecular genetics, and metagenomics to dissect phage regulatory networks. She specializes in characterizing master repressors like MrpR that control lysogeny maintenance, while pioneering CRISPR-Cas9 approaches to map essential phage genes and analyze viral community dynamics. Her work reveals evolutionary adaptations in temperate phages and host-phage coevolution mechanisms.

Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications shows consistent advancement in SPβ phage model systems, with increasing methodological sophistication from genomic characterization (2021) to structural insights (2023) and conceptual frameworks for lysis-lysogeny control (2025). Her studies appear in high-impact journals including Trends in Microbiology and Nucleic Acids Research, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches spanning bacterial virology and genetic engineering.

Within the Commichau research group, Dr. Kohm collaborates with a multidisciplinary team investigating amino acid metabolism, nucleotide signaling, and phage biology. The laboratory employs integrated techniques—from protein crystallography to metagenomic sequencing—to explore fundamental questions in bacterial physiology and viral evolution, fostering an environment where molecular discoveries inform biotechnological applications.