The Vorholt Lab - Microbial Physiology

Molecular studies of Methylobacteria and other plant-associated bacteria

The group is driven by the interest to learn how the environment shapes bacterial physiology. The biological system of particular interest to us is the plant phyllosphere which comprises the aerial parts of plants. The phyllosphere inhabitants influence their hosts on the level of the individual plant as pathogens or commensals. Besides, the microbiota on roughly one billion square kilometers of world-wide leaf surfaces is sufficiently abundant to have an impact on the global carbon and nitrogen cycles. An important and ubiquitous part of the bacterial phyllosphere community (estimated to average 10^6 to 10^7 cells per cm²) is represented by alphaproteobacterial strains of the genera Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas. We work with representative model strains to gain insights into the phyllospheric lifestyle. We integrate complementary experimental approaches in order to identify adaptation mechanisms to the plant phyllosphere with an emphasis on metabolism and regulation. Furthermore, we exploit the potential of Methylobacterium for biotechnological applications of methanol based processes.

Research areas: 

• Metabolism »»
• Phyllosphere »»
• Regulation »»