Prof. Dr. Kirsten Jung is a faculty member at the Department of Microbiology , Faculty of Biology , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich . Her research focuses on bacterial signal transduction, stress response mechanisms, and systems biology approaches to understand microbial regulatory networks. Key research areas include stress-dependent gene expression in bacterial populations Structural and functional analysis of membrane-integrated receptors Metabolism-based chemical communication in bacteria Integration of experimental and computational systems biology Recent publications highlight her lab's work on Escherichia coli epitranscriptomic modifications under heat stress, m 5 C rRNA dynamics, and the role of RNA methylation in host-pathogen interactions. Collaborative studies address bacterial acid stress responses and their implications for antibiotic tolerance. Her interdisciplinary work bridges microbiology with ecological studies, as evidenced by research on biodiversity conservation in forest and urban ecosystems. Publications also demonstrate expertise in advanced imaging techniques (e.g., arterial spin labeling for glioma analysis) and bioinformatics approaches. Current advisees include Gloria Gessinger and Tania P. Gonzalez-Terrazas . She can be contacted at jung@lmu.de .
Prof. Dr. Katharina Höfer is a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, where she heads the Research Group for Bacterial Epitranscriptomics. She is affiliated with SYNMIKRO, the Center for Synthetic Microbiology, a collaborative research center between the Max Planck Institute and Philipps-Universität Marburg. Her work bridges molecular biology, biochemistry, and microbiology to unravel the complex world of RNA modifications in bacteria. Dr. Höfer completed her academic journey with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Hannover in 2008, followed by a Master of Science in Molecular Biotechnology from Heidelberg University in 2011. She earned her Dr. rer. nat. from Heidelberg University's Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology in 2017, and continued as a Postdoctoral Researcher there until 2020. Dr. Höfer's research focuses on bacterial epitranscriptomics, particularly the study of NAD-capped RNAs in bacteria using Escherichia coli as a model organism. Her lab investigates how RNA modifications serve as epitranscriptomic mechanisms for gene regulation, exploring the connections between redox biology, gene expression, and regulation. By combining cell biological, biochemical, structural, chemical, and bioinformatic approaches, her team uncovers novel insights into RNA modifications and their functional implications in bacterial systems. Her recent work has expanded into bacteriophage research, examining the enigmatic epitranscriptome of phages and how viral infections alter host RNA modification landscapes. This interdisciplinary approach has positioned her at the forefront of understanding RNA-protein interactions, particularly through discoveries related to RNAylation - the conjugation of RNAs to proteins. The analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on viral ADP-ribosyltransferases, phage engineering, and the functional consequences of RNA modifications during host-pathogen interactions. Dr. Höfer's scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including: ERC Starter Grant (2023) EMBO Young Investigator (2024) Otto Meyerhof Award from the German Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (GBM) (2024) LOEWE Spitzenprofessur from Philipps-Universität Marburg (2024) As an advisor, Dr. Höfer has supervised numerous Master's and Bachelor's students, guiding research on topics ranging from phage infection mechanisms to RNA modifications and protein-RNA conjugation. Her group has received significant funding, most notably the ERC Starter Grant, which supports innovative research at the intersection of RNA biology and microbial systems. She maintains collaborative relationships with researchers across multiple institutions, as evidenced by her diverse publication record. The Höfer Lab, located at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, consists of a diverse team of doctoral researchers, technical assistants, guest scientists, and students. Current members include Elyés Gaaloul, Lydia Garrido Garcia-Dorado, Kitty Johnson, Helene Keuthen, Moritz Weber, Nurseda Yilmaz Demirel, Petra Mann (Technical Assistant), and several others. This collaborative environment fosters interdisciplinary research that combines molecular biology, biochemistry, and computational approaches to tackle fundamental questions in RNA biology.
Maik Wolfram-Schauerte is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Integrative Transcriptomics group at the Interfaculty Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics (IBMI), Faculty of Science, University of Tübingen, since 2024. He participates in the AI & Data Science Fellowship Program, a collaboration between Tübingen University and Boehringer Ingelheim focused on pharmaceutical machine learning applications. His educational background includes a Doctorate in Bacterial & Phage Epitranscriptomics from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology (2021-2024), a Master of Science in Biochemistry from Heidelberg University (2018-2021), and a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biotechnology from Heidelberg University (2015-2018). His research centers on developing hybrid transcriptomics machine learning models for drug discovery, integrating unsupervised and supervised learning to create holistic transcriptome models. Key focus areas include bacterial/phage epitranscriptomics, bulk transcriptome deconvolution, and interactive exploration of bacterial infection gene expression. Dr. Schauerte has received multiple prestigious awards: Doctoral scholarship from German National Academic Foundation eV (2022-2024) Add-On Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Life Sciences from Joachim Herz Foundation (since 2021) ERASMUS scholarship for Master's internship on enzyme engineering (2019) Scholarship from German Academic Scholarship Foundation (2017-2021) He actively supervises students on projects including transcriptome deconvolution algorithms, bacterial infection analysis, and phage genome pipelines. His work operates within the Integrative Transcriptomics group under the AI & Data Science Fellowship Program, which bridges academic research with industrial pharmaceutical development through structured collaborations with Boehringer Ingelheim.
Pei Hao is a Professor at the Institut Pasteur, Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he leads the Lab for Pathogen Big Data. He currently serves as Principal Investigator at the Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, CAS, focusing on pathogen big data analysis since 2024. Previously, he was Associate Professor at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS from 2009 to 2012. Dr. Hao earned his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from Fudan University between 2003 and 2008. His research spans pathogen genomics, immune system profiling, and computational biology with particular emphasis on viral pathogens and RNA analysis. His research interests center on Pathogen Big Data , RNA Sequencing , and Immune System Profiling with applications in viral pathogen analysis, cancer immunotherapy, and CRISPR technology development. His work integrates computational approaches with experimental validation to address fundamental questions in host-pathogen interactions. Analysis of his recent publications (2019-2025) reveals a strong focus on viral pathogen analysis (particularly SARS-CoV-2), immune cell profiling using single-cell technologies, and cancer immunotherapy development. His work increasingly incorporates machine learning approaches for RNA modification detection and pathogen identification. Dr. Hao has published extensively in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, Nature, and PLoS Biology, demonstrating consistent research productivity across multiple domains of molecular and computational biology. He has advised numerous researchers as evidenced by his extensive co-authorship network across immunology, virology, and computational biology projects. His laboratory has secured significant research funding for pathogen genomics and immune profiling projects, though specific grant details are not provided in the available information. Dr. Hao leads the Lab for Pathogen Big Data at Institut Pasteur, Shanghai, which focuses on developing computational frameworks for pathogen surveillance, immune response characterization, and therapeutic development using large-scale genomic and transcriptomic datasets.
Prof. Dr. Seraphine Valeska Wegner is a Full Professor at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry within the Medical Faculty of the University of Münster. She leads the AG Wegner research group focused on light-controlled systems, with her laboratory located at Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149 Münster. Her research integrates principles from synthetic biology, optogenetics, and tissue engineering to develop innovative approaches for controlling cellular behavior. Dr. Wegner's research centers on the spatiotemporal control of cell-material and cell-cell interactions using visible light. Her group develops photoswitchable interactions that enable non-invasive remote control over cell adhesions, allowing precise self-assembly and self-sorting of cells into multicellular functional architectures. This work bridges fundamental cell biology with practical applications in tissue engineering and synthetic biology. Her research spans from creating synthetic minimal cells that reduce complexity while capturing key cellular features to engineering light-controlled bacterial biofilms with specific properties. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on optogenetic control systems, photoswitchable protein engineering, and the development of light-responsive biomaterials. The research trends show increasing sophistication in multi-color control systems (green, red, and far-red light), reversible adhesion mechanisms, and applications in both fundamental biological questions and translational biomedical contexts including cancer immunotherapy and antimicrobial strategies. ERC Consolidator Grant (2024): LIGHTHOUSE project on nonchemical cell-to-cell communication ERC Starting Grant (2018): ARTIST project on artificial cell-cell interactions Faculty Member of the Max Planck Graduate Center (MPGC) Young Leaders in Science Program, Schering Foundation Research Grant from the Daimler and Benz Foundation Professor Wegner actively mentors numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with her lab comprising multiple technical staff and a substantial alumni network. Her research group is involved in several collaborative networks including CRC 1348, where she is scheduled to present a lecture in October 2025 titled 'Bottom-up Synthetic Biology - A Building Block Kit for the Cell.' The group's work has significant implications for understanding fundamental biological processes while developing novel therapeutic and biotechnological applications.
Prof. Tanja Schirmeister is a Professor of Medical/Pharmaceutical Chemistry and currently serves as Dean of the Department of Chemistry, Pharmacy, Geography, and Geosciences at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since 2011. Previously, she worked at the University of Würzburg for 11 years. Her academic journey includes studies, doctorate, and habilitation from the University of Freiburg. Education: 1982: Abitur 1987: University degree 1988: Approbation 1993: Doctorate 1999: Habilitation Research Interests: Her work focuses on protease inhibition , particularly targeting enzymes involved in diseases like African sleeping sickness, malaria, and SARS-CoV-2. She pioneered covalent inhibitors, now validated by the EMA’s approval of Pfizer’s Paxlovid®. Collaborations include Brazilian research groups and quantum chemists for atom-level reaction modeling. She emphasizes balancing career and family, advocating for mentorship and structured career planning in academia. Key Contributions: Her lab develops antiviral agents, covalent inhibitors for parasitic proteases, and immunomodulatory drugs. She co-authored over 150 publications, with recent breakthroughs in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibition and cathepsin S targeting for cancer. Teaching & Mentoring: Enjoys teaching stereochemistry and organic chemistry, emphasizing holistic scientific perspectives. Actively supports mentoring programs to advance early-career researchers. Labs/Teams: Leads a dedicated research group focused on drug discovery and enzyme mechanisms. Collaborates with quantum chemists and industry partners (e.g., Pfizer). Personal Highlights: Collects model trains, garden gnomes, and prioritizes family time with grandchildren. Enjoys outdoor terraces overlooking mountains.
Prof. Dr. Daniel Schindler is a Visiting Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, affiliated with the DNA Service Unit . His work focuses on synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and RNA-based technologies. Research Interests : Daniel Schindler's research spans synthetic biology and microbial genomics, with emphasis on RNA engineering, DNA assembly techniques, and metabolic pathway optimization. He explores the application of Golden Gate cloning, synthetic secondary chromosomes, and CRISPR tools for precise genetic manipulation. Recent Publications : His work highlights advancements in synthetic small RNA design, high-throughput DNA assembly, and phage engineering. Themes include microbial systems biology, enzyme evolution, and scalable genome modification. Contact : Email: daniel.schindler@mpi-marburg.mpg.de Phone: +49 6421 178 530 Address: Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany
