Martin Thanbichler

Prof. Dr. Martin Thanbichler is a leading researcher in bacterial cell biology, affiliated with the Department of Biology at Philipps-Universität Marburg and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology as a Max Planck Fellow since 2015. His academic career includes roles as a Junior Professor (2008–2014) and Professor of Microbiology (W2, 2014–2020; W3, 2020–present) at Philipps-Universität Marburg.

• Diplom in Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (1998)
• Dr. rer. nat. in Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2002)
• Postdoctoral research at Stanford University (2002–2006)

His research focuses on the spatiotemporal organization of bacterial cells, particularly in chromosome segregation, cell division, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Using multidisciplinary approaches (cell biology, genetics, structural biology), his lab investigates regulatory systems in model organisms like Caulobacter crescentus and Myxococcus xanthus, addressing processes such as division site placement and protein diffusion barriers.

Recent publications highlight expertise in molecular switches (ParB proteins), cytoskeletal scaffolding, and DNA partitioning mechanisms. Keywords include Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics, with sub-fields spanning cell cycle regulation, polymer disassembly, and nucleotide-dependent signaling.

His lab is based at the Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) in Marburg, Germany, which hosts over 35 microbiology research groups. Collaborations span biophysics, bioinformatics, and structural biology.