Contact
Affiliation
Physics of Complex Biosystems,
Physik-Department, Technische Universität München,
James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
How to reach us
Postal address
James-Franck-Str. 1,
85748 Garching
Secretary
| Name | Tel. | Fax | Raum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniela Neufang | +49 (89) 289 - 12662 | +49 (89) 289 - 12638 | daniela.neufang(at)tum.de | Room 3229 |
How to find us
Take U6 to "Garching - Forschungszentrum". Leave the station in the direction of travel.
After ca. 100 m (after having passed the "Institute for advanced study" with the waterfall) take a right into James-Franck-Strasse, where you see a white sign "TUM physik department". We are on the first floor in the corridor opposite the "Bibliothek".
More Info
Open Positions
Bachelor, Master and PhD Thesis
We welcome applications from both experimentally and theoretically minded people. Please contact us directly if you are interested in doing a thesis in our group.
Bachelor Thesis Offers
Bachelor Thesis - Experimental and Theoretical Work
Bachelor Students are welcome to approach us for a bachelor thesis place in our lab. Under supervision of a PhD Student, you will be able to conduct experiments and analyse and evaluate your own data. Please reach out to us for availability.
Master Thesis Offers
Biphasic survival of bacteria during carbon starvation
Bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) can use a wide variety of carbon substrates as nutrients. Under carbon-limited growth, the substrates lead to distinct physiological parameters such as the growth rate. Recently, it has been found that the growth rate of a bacterial population correlates with the death rate upon carbon starvation. In this, the death rate is characterized both by the maintenance rate of the cells as well as the recycling yield, i.e., the ability to take up nutrients from dead cells in the medium and thus prolong viability. However, the exact recycling mechanism and the nature of molecules taken up by the starving cells remain elusive. Does the previous growth substrate determine the recycling pathway? Are the starving cells "trapped" in their previously used metabolic pathway or do they adapt rapidly to the new conditions?
The aim of this project is to design and perform starvation experiments in our microbiology lab to investigate how different carbon metabolisms upon cell growth affect the recycling ability and adaptation of E. coli during starvation, with a focus on the differences in survival dynamics when using glycolytic and gluconeogenic carbon sources. Prerequisites: Strong interest in quantitative, microbiological lab work and in the mechanisms enabling simple living systems to endure challenging environments.