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Project area C: Biological acitivity and biological response
Project C1: Systems biology of natural product biosynthesis and
activity
Prof. Dieter Jahn, TU Braunschweig, Institut für Mikrobiologie
Web address:
https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/ifm/abt/jahn
The effect of natural products on various bacterial and eukarotic
cells will be determined using state-of-the-art transcriptome and
proteome research. Bioinformatic interpretation of obtained data
will be employed for mode of action predictions. The
biotechnological production of compounds of interest will analyzed
and optimized using a similar approach. Finally, selected enzymes
for natural product formation will be characterized biochemically.
Understanding of natural product formation and activity at the
systems level is desired.
Required qualification: Master in Biology, Biochemistry or Chemistry
Project C2: Novel screens and novel compounds: Fighting biofilms
with myxobacterial and fungal metabolites
Prof. Irene Wagner-Döbler, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research
(HZI), Braunschweig
Web address:
http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/research_topics/bacterial_and_viral_pathogens/microbial_communication/our_research/
Biofilms formed by bacteria and fungi are hardly attacked by
conventional antibiotics. Therefore we will specifically search for
anti-biofilm compounds using (1) miniaturized whole-cell biofilm
screens of important pathogens, (2) gfp-reporter-fusions for
cellular stress, and (3) quorum sensing reporter constructs. Readout
is fluorescence, thus micro titre format and "medium" throughput is
possible. Compounds screened will be secondary metabolites from
Myxobacteria and fungi as well as cell extracts from Myxobacteria.
In cooperation with the University of Hannover (Markus Kalesse)
isolation and structure elucidation of active compounds will be
performed. Volatiles emitted by mixed species biofilms will be
analyzed by the University of Braunschweig (Stefan Schulz) and their
anti-biofilm activity will then be investigated.
Required qualification: Master in Biology, Biotechnology or related
subjects
Project C3: Target prediction and lead optimization for natural
compounds using chemoinformatics
Prof. Knut Baumann, TU Braunschweig, Institut für Medizinische und
Pharmazeutische Chemie
Web address:
http://www.pharmchem.tu-bs.de/forschung/baumann/
Cell-based screening is often used to evaluate the biological
activity of natural compounds. While cell-based screening can show
that a particular compound is active, its target within the cell
remains unknown. To support target identification, chemoinformatics
will be employed for target prediction specifically tailored to the
chemical space of natural compounds. For compound classes where the
target is known, computational techniques for lead compound
optimization such as the analysis of Quantitative Structure-Activity
Relationships (QSAR) will be used to further enhance the biological
activities of the compounds of the consortium. All computations will
be done in close cooperation with the groups from Organic and
Medicinal Chemistry.
Required qualification: Master in Chemistry, Bioinformatics, or
Pharmacy
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