Cluster of Excellence CMFI
LightNews LightNews
banner
cmfi.bsky.social
Cluster of Excellence CMFI
@cmfi.bsky.social
470 followers 390 following 59 posts
“Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI) researchers from different disciplines elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between beneficial and harmful bacteria and the host.
– University of Tübingen, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Posts Replies Media Videos
cmfi.bsky.social
Study finds #caffeine can weaken effectiveness of certain #antibiotics

Substances from natural environment can trigger bacteria's alert systems – implications for future therapeutic approaches?

Read the press release here: www.cmfi.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news-even...

@unituebingen.bsky.social
Scientist Ana Rita Brochado and her lab team member Laura Sniegula look at data from the pipetting robot. With this laboratory tool the team investigated the effect of 94 different substances – including antibiotics, prescription drugs, and food ingredients – on the bacterium E. coli, a potential pathogen. © Leon Kokkoliadis/CMFI, University of Tübingen
July 24, 2025 at 3:36 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Unexpected side-effect: how common medications clear the way for pathogens

CMFI's @lisamaierlab.bsky.social @unituebingen.bsky.social show in @nature.com: many non-antibiotics weaken the natural protective function of the intestine.

Press release: www.cmfi.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news-even...
Scanning electron microscopy image of a gut bacterial community (1:1.000.000). These interacting microorganisms form an ecosystem that is vital to human health. Medications can severely disrupt this fragile balance – they eliminate beneficial bacteria and thereby promote the growth of harmful species. Image produced by the Maier Lab (Lisa Maier, Anne Grießhammer, Leonardo Boldt) together with the Tübingen Structural Microscopy Core Facility (Michaela Wilsch-Bräuninger, Stefan Fischer); Colouring: Elke Neudert.
July 17, 2025 at 8:13 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
🚨 Naming Challenge:
Help redefine the #glycopeptide family!

🏆Submit your idea & win 500 € + authorship credit

Let’s rethink antibiotic classification—together!

🧬 Deadline: Sept 15, 2025

👉 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

@nadineziemert.bsky.social #NameChallenge #NaturalProducts #Antibiotics
June 30, 2025 at 7:42 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲𝘀: 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

The human microbiome—comprising trillions of microorganisms—interacts closely with our immune, metabolic, and nervous systems. It influences directly our health.

On #WorldMicrobiomeDay, we celebrate the science that shows how much Microbes Matter.
June 27, 2025 at 4:57 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
🔬 New pathoblocker is to stop Salmonella infections early on

Possible alternative treatment method for infections with antibiotic-resistant germs.

📖 Study: tinyurl.com/2s3u4hwj

#Pathoblocker #Salmonella #Pathogenicity #AMR @dzif.bsky.social @unituebingen.bsky.social @mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Cut through a protein: Look inside the HilD Regulator and the binding site for the pathoblocker. The discovered substance C26 (blue) bound to the HilD regulator and acting as pathoblocker. In addition, the HilD AlphaFold predicted structure is depicted (black). Model by Thales Kronenberger. 3D visualization created by Leon Kokkoliadis/CMFI, University of Tübingen. © Leon Kokkoliadis, CC-BY-ND A detailed view of the interior of a protein. The identified pathoblocker C26 (blue) has been shown to bind to the HilD-Regulator. The figure also illustrates the protein structure as predicted by AlphaFold (black). Model by Thales Kronenberger. 3D visualization created by Leon Kokkoliadis/CMFI, University of Tübingen. © Leon Kokkoliadis, CC-BY-ND
April 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
Study shows that (p)ppGpp-controlled GTP homeostasis is essential for maintaining the proton motive force.

This ensures #bacterial survival and #antibiotic tolerance.

Study by Andrea Salzer et al. points to new approaches to fight persistent infections:

shorturl.at/HtJ6N

@wolzc.bsky.social
Fig 9 from original publication: Bacterial culturability in the stationary phase is dependent on (p)ppGpp-driven GTP depletion. Uncontrolled, high levels of GTP (low ATP) in the (p)ppGpp0 mutant resulted in membrane disorder and decreased PMF. The lower PMF could at least in part be linked to transcriptional downregulation of nucleotide-sensitive genes of the respiratory chain. Maintenance of respiratory chain activity under (p)ppGpp positive/low GTP conditions likely accounts for the observed tolerance of stationary phase cells to bactericidal antibiotics.
March 31, 2025 at 2:54 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
🎯 It’s a match!

New tool PhARIS finds right phage for S. aureus in hours!

🦠 With antibiotic resistance on a rise, #phagetherapy offers precise alternative. PhARIS streamlines #MRSA treatment.

👏 Congrats to @andreaspeschel.bsky.social @jkrusche.bsky.social & team!

🔗 More: tinyurl.com/25b8kfmh
PhARIS (Phage Aureus RBP Identification System): A new tool for identifying specific phage receptor-binding proteins and predicting the ability to infect the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Exemplary presentation. Image: Dr. Johannes Richers and Dr. Christoph Kuehne (Jo Richers Studio), commissioned by University of Tübingen/CMFI
March 14, 2025 at 1:53 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
CMFI is listed as host institution for FRONTIERS Science Journalism in Residency Programme!

Residencies (3-5 months) for early-career #journalists to focus on in-depth #science coverage.

Grant grant up to 4,000 EUR/month!

📅 Deadline: 6 May

▶️https://tinyurl.com/3nua26hp

Interested? Send PM
February 18, 2025 at 12:47 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Together we are stronger!

"Listeria in the gut: How our body cells fight infections with good communication and teamwork"

@effiebastounis.bsky.social and team show, how our body cells jointly fight epithelial cells infected with Listeria monocytogenes.

www.cmfi.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news-even...
Epithelial cells infected with Listeria monocytogenes are being squeezed and pushed out of the epithelial layer due to the forceful action of surrounding healthy cells. The signal ERK kinase spreading fast in form of waves across cells, plays a crucial role for coordinating the movement of the healthy cells towards the infection site. Exemplary visualization.© Leon Kokkoliadis/CMFI CC-BY NC
February 4, 2025 at 1:07 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
We are happy to welcome Kai Papenfort from EXC Balance of the Microverse @universität-jena.

Thank you for giving insights with the interesting talk „From strings of nucleotides to collective behavior: “Lessons from Vibrio cholerae and its phages”!
December 5, 2024 at 12:24 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
June 27, 2024 at 9:39 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
June 27, 2024 at 9:39 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
June 27 marks World Microbiome Day #WMD24!

Act responsibly for yourself and the world around you:
#FeedYourMicrobes 🌱🦠

#microbiome #AMR #health #environment #consciousness
June 27, 2024 at 9:38 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
Today Annika Hausmann is visiting us.

We just heard an intriguing talk on the regulation of innate #immune sensing of commensal #bacteria in the #intestinal mucosa.

Nice to discuss her work on how epithelial repair programs might affect microbe-mucosa crosstalk.

Thank you!
June 20, 2024 at 11:47 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
Kann man gute Bakterien nutzen, um böse zu bekämpfen?

Darüber sprechen @nadineziemert.bsky.social und Hannes Link in Folge42 von #exzellenterklaert – Spitzenforschung für alle!

Jetzt reinhören▶️https://exzellent-erklaert.podigee.io

#wisskomm #podcast #Bakterien #Mikrobiom #Antibiotika #Resistenzen
April 2, 2024 at 8:04 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
We're hiring!

Open positions at our Cluster of Excellence
CMFI “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections”,
Tübingen/Germany

1 x Administration
5 x #PhDposition
4 x #postdocjobs

➡️ www.cmfi.uni-tuebingen.de/en/career/op...

We are happy to receive your applications!

(Please share and RT)
March 6, 2024 at 2:57 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Nature shows how to minimize collateral damage by broad-spectrum antibiotics: Epifadin compensates broad activity with very short half life. Congrats to
@andreaspeschel.bsky.social
, Bernhard Krismer,
@hbroetz
@StephanieGrond
@tilmweber
, many others.
@uni_tue
@DZIF_
@uni_tue_exstra
The active substance epifadin in its isolated pure form. The unstable active substance has to be stored under shielding gas. © Jonas Ritz, CMFI / University of Tübingen Scanning electron microscope image of epifadin-producing bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis. © Jeremiah Shuster, Tübingen Structural Microscopy Core Facility / Geomicrobiology / University of Tübingen. Coloration: Elke Neudert/University of Tübingen.
December 19, 2023 at 12:44 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Novel #antibiotic substance from the human nose For the first time, the active substance epifadin has been isolated – Epifadin is produced by S. epidermidis, has an antibiotic effect, and is the first example of a previously unknown antimicrobial compound class.
Dr Bernhard Krismer and Professor Stephanie Grond in the microbiology laboratory of the University of Tübingen’s Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT). With their teams they worked on the discovery of the active substance epifadin. © Jörg Jäger / University of Tübingen
December 19, 2023 at 12:43 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Paleomycin–Taking antibiotics back in time
Study published in Nature Communications unveiling origin of modern glycopeptides. Insights for the development of new drugs.

Congrats to Evi Stegmann, @nadineziemert.bsky.social, Max Cryle et al.

More: www.cmfi.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news-even...
University of Tübingen researchers reverse the evolution of a class of antibiotics to gain in-sights for the development of new drugs. Illustration Anna Voigtländer. © University of Tübingen / CMFI
November 30, 2023 at 1:01 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Using antimicrobials when not necessary may be a quick fix with serious long-term consequences.

Think before you prescribe!

Let's prevent antimicrobial resistance together!

#AntimicrobialResistance #AMR #WAAW2023
November 23, 2023 at 1:55 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Congratulations to our board member Christoph Stein-Thoeringer for receiving an @ERC_Research Consolidator Grant🥳

In his project he will focus on the influence of the microbiome on the success of so-called CAR T-cell therapies.

Read more here (German only) www.cmfi.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news-even...
November 23, 2023 at 1:53 PM
cmfi.bsky.social
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobials.

As a result, infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

#AMR #WAAW2023
November 22, 2023 at 9:12 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
Antimicrobials have been overused and misused for years, rendering some of them ineffective.

People, plants and animals are now dying from infections that were once treatable.

Let's prevent antimicrobial resistance together!

#AntimicrobialResistance #AMR #WAAW2023
November 21, 2023 at 10:30 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
CMFI goes blue during WHO World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2023.

Let's prevent antimicrobial resistance together!

#AntimicrobialResistance #AMR #WAAW2023
November 21, 2023 at 10:29 AM
cmfi.bsky.social
Press release:

Unique nasal microbiome

Study shows varying IgA levels in the nose affect microbiome members differently. Nasal antibody sIgA governs if respiratory colonizers and pathogens can establish. The results help to better understand the body's immune response.

More➡️ tinyurl.com/bdeeuh3c
A microbial community on the human body. Groups of staphylococci in secretion and other skin microbes. Exemplary representation. © Michael Pelzer / University of Tübingen.
October 30, 2023 at 2:08 PM