Aktuelles

Congratulations to Kaja Grewe on winning the prize for the best presentation at the RIGEL summer school!

In this new publication, we collaborated with the Orsi lab and took methanogenic archaea to chemical gardens showing that geochemical reactions produce sufficient energy to support the growth of hydrogen-dependent early cells on the young Earth.

see:  doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02676-w   (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

New Book!

We are excited to announce that our book Single-Molecule Sequencing of RNA is now available as part of the ACS In Focus series!

In this primer, we introduce readers to the fundamentals of single-molecule RNA sequencing - covering everything from historical developments, experimental setups, and third-generation sequencing platforms like PacBio and Nanopore, to bioinformatics and real-world applications.
We highlight how single-molecule approaches are transforming transcriptome research by enabling unprecedented insights into gene expression, RNA modifications, and isoform diversity.
If you want to explore the world of single-molecule transcriptomics – this is the perfect starting point!

See: doi.org/10.1021/acsinfocus.7e9002 (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

Join us in Nürnberg in May when art meets bioscience at the biocraze symposium artopodbiocraze.adbk-nuernberg.de (see (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)). 
This is just one of the activities the ArchaeaCentre Regensburg supports to engage with the public (including real experiments) and started as fun project with artist Anna Steward.

Three years ago, we founded a startup called Microbify (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster) at the University of Regensburg. It is still alive and even moved out already ;).
Read here how microbiologists can support the transition from fossil gas to hydrogen and the journey from basic science to applied science in a Company setting (sorry, German only).
see (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

Min proteins are crucially important for cell division in Bacteria. In this paper, the Albers group analyzed the function of the MinD2 protein in the archaeal model organism H. volcanii and showed that this homolog is not involved in cell division but has an impact on the positioning of chemotaxis arrays and arcaheellum motors. In a collaborational effort, we could contribute our RNAseq expertise to analyze the expression patterns in a MinD2 deletion strain.

see: doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1474570 (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

In this paper, our colleagues from the Meister lab (University of Regensburg) developed a method called RNA bind-n-seq, which allows for the identification of RNA motifs for RNA binding proteins in vitro and in vivo. Using this method, we could determine that the archaeal Lsm protein from P. furiosus specifically recognizes a U-rich sequence motif aligning well we previous RNA-seq studies from our lab. Archaeal Lsm proteins belong to the highly conserved Sm protein class involved in RNA metabolism in all three domains of life and the identification of the sequence motif recognized by an archaeal Lsm protein expands our understanding of the functionality of this protein class in Archaea.

see: doi 10.26508/lsa.202402782 (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

Our recent study published in Nucleic Acids Research delves into the structural organization of archaeal transcription complexes. Collaborating with the Structural Biochemistry department, we utilized single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, supplemented by single-molecule FRET and biochemcial analysis, of Pyrococcus furiosus RNA polymerase complexes. Our investigation sheds light on the influence of the transcription elongation factor Spt4/5 on the overall architecture and function of the RNA polymerase. This research unveils the broader role of Spt4/5 in transcription, potentially extending beyond its known function in elongation support.

doi: 10.1093/nar/gkae282 (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

New Paper by the SynMiBi group: in this study, we built an artificial ruthenium enzyme that catalyzes new-to-nature carbon-carbon coupling in an atroposelective manner. Congratulations to Tobias and our dream collaborators from the Ward and Sparr groups (Uni Basel).
doi:10.1002/cctc.202301113 (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster)

Copyrigth image: Wiley

Hochsprung Award

HOCHSPRUNG is a network of entrepreneurs at universities in Bavaria. Established in 2020, the primary task is to support entrepreneurs working at and with universities to found startups and to support a culture of innovation across all disciplines.

Microbify GmbH (externer Link, ?ffnet neues Fenster), a spin-off from our department, is the winner of the 2023 Hochsprung award. The jury was impressed by the overall potential of our work to support future energy supply both in terms of making gas supply safer and more sustainable. 
 
Georg Schmid, co-founder and managing director of Microbify: ?We are honored by the jury‘s decision to award this prestigious price to us. We are proud to see our scientifically based work with high relevance in an industrial context being recognized not only by our customers.“

Contact: Dr. Georg Schmid (georg.schmid​(at)​microbify.com (?ffnet Ihr E-Mail-Programm))
Photo: Alexander Wei?