Freie Universität professor receives ERC grant for bacterial biofilm formation study

Prof. Dr. Regine Hengge at the Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy at Freie Universität Berlin has been awarded funding from the European Research Council (ERC) for her research project to investigate the formation of bacterial biofilms. Hengge will receive an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant in an amount of up to two million euros. Her research project "Cyclic-di-GMP: New Concepts in Second Messenger Signaling and Bacterial Biofilm Formation" aims to lead to a comprehensive understanding of biofilms that cause serious complications in infectious diseases due to their resistance to antibiotics as well as significant technological problems by growing on various surfaces. The project was selected from 1584 proposals and as one of 513 in the life sciences.

The funding extends over a period of five years and will be used to hire several additional postdoctoral researchers and graduate students for Professor Hengge's research group. Furthermore, the funding will be used to expand international collaboration and purchase laboratory equipment. In particular, two international conferences on biofilms will be held at Freie Universität. The research will focus on the molecular genetic control mechanisms and the processing of various environmental signals to determine the origin, architecture, and properties of biofilms of the model organism and major pathogen, Escherichia coli.

In medicine, biofilms play a pernicious role because they contain bacteria resistant to antibiotics and the attacks of the immune system. They can lead to chronic infections and colonize all types of catheters. In the oral cavity, biofilms are responsible for the development of caries and parodontosis, among other things.

Biofilms can also cause major engineering and technological problems since bacteria grow anywhere on surfaces that are permanently wet or are in an aqueous environment such as all types of water supply systems and ship hulls. Biofilms can lead to the blockage of pipes and to corrosion, thus causing damage in the millions. They can also cause the inversion of sewage treatment plants. These problems are often addressed through expensive, not very durable cleaning or painting over the surfaces using varnish or paint containing toxic heavy metals. Professor Hengge expects that by gaining a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which biofilms are formed, it will be possible to develop substances that can prevent biofilm formation in medical and technical areas.

SOURCE Freie Universität