Microbes

The members of our molecular microbiology group use microorganisms to better understand basic aspects of biology. We dissect the molecular machineries that segregate organelles and chromosomes and investigate the molecules that replicate and repair DNA. This is complemented by research on microbe evolution and sociology in the context of medically and industrially relevant microbial biofilms.

Our research into molecular machineries spans bacterial clades. We are studying archaea (Professor Thorsten Allers) as well as multiple biochemical process in bacteria including the molecular biology of CRISPR editing (Associate Professor Ed Bolt), the biochemistry and biophysics of lipid membranes (Associate Professor Boyan Bonev), transposon regulation (Professor Ronald Chalmers) and the function of the multifunctional survivin protein (Assistant Professor Sally Wheatley).

Understanding microbe evolution and sociology and their relevance to antimicrobial resistance is another major focus (Professors Paul Williams and Miguel Camara, Associate Professor Kim Hardie, Clinical Associate Professor Tim Sloan and Assistant Professor Stephan Heeb).