Investigations

Cultures grown under standard SUMO conditions were analyzed with respect to heterogeneity in gene expression. To this end GFP reporter strains were constructed and GFP expression at single cell level was monitored by flow cytometry.

The electron transport chain of E. coli is branched. Different NAD Dehydrogenases and terminal oxidases are known to be expressed at different oxygen availabilities. By deleting multiple genes mutant strains were constructed that posses a linear electron transport chain. These mutants were investigated in continous bioreactor experiments with limiting glucose and varying oxygen supply.

A further investigation of the variation of FNR number in E.coli Cyo/Cyd mutants is carrying out at different oxygen supply levels. The agent-based FNR and ArcBA model is going to be used for this prediction. The number of Cyo or Cyd and other unrelated agents would be set as ‘0’ at the initial XML file with which the model starts. According to the restrictions of supercomputer ‘Iceberg’ (serviced provided by the University of Sheffield), certain parameters, such as memory per node, would be ...

In Escherichia coli several systems are known to transport glucose into the cytoplasm. A series of mutant strains were constructed, which lack one or more of these uptake systems. These were analyzed in aerobic and anaerobic batch cultures, as well as glucose limited continuous cultivations.

Transcriptional and physiological responses of anaerobic steady state cultures to pulses of electron acceptors, specifically nitrate, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO)

Changing the oxygen availability leads to an adaptation of Escherichia coli at different biological levels. After pertubation of oxygen in chemostat experiments the microorganism(s) will come back to another steady state. This investigation deals with these stationary responses of Escherichia coli within the aerobiosis scale. The change for different biological variables, in different areas of the organism like the electron transport chain, the TCA cycle or globally is investigated by wildtype ...

Changing the oxygen availability leads to an adaptation of Escherichia coli at different biological levels. After pertubation of oxygen in chemostat experiments there are very quick responses. This investigation deals with this dynamical behaviour (transitions) of Escherichia coli within the aerobiosis scale. The change for different biological variables, in different areas of the organism like the electron transport chain, the TCA cycle or globally is investigated by wildtype and mutants experiments ...