Prof. Dr. Gabriele Bierbaum             
©UKB 
g.bierbaum (at) uni-bonn.de
+49  (0)228  287 - 19103

 

Link to Publications

Research Interests

New antibiotics and antibiotic resistance

Resistance to vancomycin and daptomycin is usually caused by mutations that lead to an altered cell wall structure of staphylococci. In resistant strains, mutations are often found in the only essential two-component system of Staphylococcus aureus, WalRK. This system is available for in vitro measurements at our laboratory and we are searching for new inhibitors for this system within a DZIF-funded project.

Other projects deal with new antibiotics from different producers, e.g. pseudomycoicidin and the effect of corallopyronin against staphylococci (funded by DZIF).

Dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment

Another focus of the laboratory is on the typing of individual clones of relevant multidrug-resistant bacteria, with a focus on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Mass spectrometry-based methods for typing were also evaluated.

In the BMBF-funded consortium HyReKA, the methodology was extended to multi-resistant Gram-negative pathogens and we were able to show the sources from which these bacteria spread in the environment. The results are now available as a final report.

As part of the DFG research group For 5095, we are investigating the mechanisms that control the dynamics of contaminants and multiresistant bacteria during the transition from irrigation with untreated wastewater to irrigation with treated wastewater under subtropical conditions. To this end, we established a system that measures the impact of antibiotic stress on the fitness and survival of resistant and non-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Project description

Influence of biofilms on the fossilization process

Dead organisms are usually degraded by saprophytic bacteria. In very rare cases, however, well-preserved fossils develop, with soft tissues also being preserved. Bacteria may be involved in this process, via the synthesis of biofilms that later mineralize. Within the framework of the DFG research group For 2685, Dr. S. Karacic, in cooperation with the paleontologists of the University of Bonn, is investigating the formation of mineralized biofilms by bacteria using various plant parts as example. Project description

©AG Bierbaum

Team Members:

Dr. Sabina Karacic, Post-Doc, Tel.: +49 (0)228 287 16307

Christiane Szekat, Technical assistant, Tel.:+49 (0)228 287 14807

Katharina Axtmann, PhD student, Tel.: +49 (0)228 287 14435

Maike Karcher, PhD student, Tel.: +49 (0)228 287 16821

Jesenko Karacic, PhD student, Tel.: +49 (0)228 287 16307

Katja Kehl, PhD student

Dominik Schuster, PhD student

Niklas Holstein, Master student, Tel.: +49 (0)228 287 14807

Clara Frick, Master student, Tel.: +49 (0)2228 287 16307

Anna Lea Marxer, Master student, Tel.: +49 (0)228 287 14435