Deutsch Intern
  • Blick auf das Hauptgebäude der Uni Würzburg am Sanderring.
IMIB - INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR INFECTION BIOLOGY

Prof. Dr. A. Westermann

 

       RESEARCH TOPICS
 

  • RNA biology of anaerobic gut commensals​
     
  • Host-microbe interaction studies​
     
  • Advanced cross-species RNA-seq approaches​
     
  • Hypoxic tissue models for bacterial colonization

MODEL ORGANISMS

Research

Our intestinal tract offers an attractive environment for both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria. The beneficial bacteria of our microbiota feast on undigested foods and provide numerous health benefits. Enteric pathogens see this environment as an entry point for infection. Both groups influence each other, creating a tripartite interaction with us, the host. Understanding the regulatory processes that decide on the outcome of these encounters represents an emerging research area to combat infectious diseases. While the field has focused on protein-mediated processes, our group investigates the role of RNA-centric mechanisms in controlling microbial interactions in the gut.


Kooshapour H, Matera G, Venturini E, Metka L, Bischler T, Vogel J, Westermann AJ (2025)
Intramacrophage RIL-seq uncovers an RNA antagonist of the Salmonella virulence-associated small RNA PinT.
Nucleic Acids Research 53(22):gkaf1364. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaf1364.

Bornet E, Prezza G, Cecchino L, Jenniches L, Behrends J, Tawk C, Huang KC, Strowig T, Vogel J, Barquist L, Saliba A-E, Westermann AJ (2025)
Low-input RNA-seq suggests metabolic specialization underlying morphological heterogeneity in a gut commensal bacterium.
Cell Reports 44(6):115844. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115844.
Spotlight in Trends in Microbiology (PMID: 40628542).

Rüttiger A-S, Ryan D, Spiga L, Lamm-Schmidt V, Prezza G, Reichardt S, Langford M, Barquist L, Faber F, Zhu W, Westermann AJ (2025)
The global RNA-binding protein RbpB is a regulator of polysaccharide utilization in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
Nature Communications 16(1):208. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55383-8.

Prezza G, Liao C, Reichardt S, Beisel CL, Westermann AJ (2024)
CRISPR-based screening of small RNA modulators of bile susceptibility in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
PNAS 121(6):e2311323121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2311323121.

Ryan D, Bornet E, Prezza G, Varshini Alampalli S, Franco de Carvalho T, Felchle H, Ebbecke T, Hayward R, Deutschbauer AM, Barquist L, Westermann AJ (2024)
An expanded transcriptome atlas for Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron reveals a small RNA that modulates tetracycline sensitivity.
Nature Microbiology 9(4):1130-1144. doi: 10.1038/s41564-024-01642-9.
 

Publications chronological (pdf)

Jun Prof. Alexander Westermann

Group Leader
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.021
Phone: +49-931-31-83781
[Translate to Englisch:]

Elise Bornet

PhD Student
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204

Taís Franco de Carvalho

PhD Student
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204

Hoda Kooshapour

PhD Student
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204

Gohar Mädler

PhD Student
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204
Phone: +49-931-31-89155
[Translate to Englisch:]

Sarah Reichardt

Technician
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204
Phone: +49-931-31-86586
[Translate to Englisch:]

Gianluca Prezza

PhD Student
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204
Phone: +49-931-31-86586
[Translate to Englisch:]

Dr. Daniel Ryan

Postdoc
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
Room: 01.204
Phone: +49-931-31-89155
[Translate to Englisch:]

Ann Sophie Rüttiger

Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Westermann Group
Building: D15
[Translate to Englisch:]