Anti-infective natural substances

The department "Anti-infectives from Microbiota" of Prof Christine
Beemelmanns focuses on the identification and functional analysis
of novel anti-infective natural products from microbial
communities. Co-cultivation studies and cell-based assays in
combination with chemical-analytical and molecular biological
methods are used to evaluate new microbial natural product
producers. The group uses established and innovative metabolomic,
activity- and genome-guided methods to elucidate the structure of
the secreted natural products. Based on the isolated natural
products, the functional analysis and evaluation of their spectrum
of activity is carried out. The department is based at the
Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in
Saarbrücken, a site of the HZI in co-operation with Saarland
University. The spread of antibiotic-resistant human pathogenic
bacteria is an increasing threat to human health. The development
of new anti-infectives and a better understanding of their function
and mode of action are therefore urgently needed. Microorganisms
are a promising source of new active substances. Microbial
communities (microbiota / microbiome) are made up of a large number
of different bacteria, fungi and representatives of unicellular and
few-celled eukaryotes as well as viruses. These communities are
found on human, animal and plant tissue surfaces, among others,
where they can fulfil essential functions for the host. In many
cases, the composition of the microbiota correlates with its
localisation and thus its function. Microorganisms regulate and
manipulate their coexistence by emitting bioactive natural
substances. Microbial natural products can have an antibiotic
effect to protect the producers, but can also act as a cellular
signal, as a morphogen for the host organism or be metabolised as a
nutrient. However, the chemical structures of many of these natural
substances are unknown, which means that their natural function,
their influence on the microbiota and their potential applications
are still poorly understood. As natural products play important
roles in microbial interactions, their production is closely linked
to the composition of the microbiota. The Beemelmanns group
analyses representative microbial communities to explore this
chemical space. Transparency notice: The podcast contains
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