We are proud to announce that our early career researcher Benita Lückel won a poster prize titled “Winning the iron race: Ferritin is essential for survival of Corynebacterium glutamicum under iron limiting conditions in microbial communities” at the EMBO Bacterial Networking 2026 in Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain sponsored by Nature microbiology. Her study aims to elucidate the role of iron storage proteins (Ferritin & Dps) in C. glutamicum in the response to oxidative stress, labile iron homeostasis, and in the race for iron in co-cultures. 

Congratulations Benita on this well deserved recognition!

MibiNet porject leader Prof. Dr. Eva Nowack, Head of the Institute of Microbial Cell Biology at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), has been awarded the 2026 Miescher-Ishida Prize by the International Society of Endocytobiology. The award, presented on 15 September 2026, recognises her outstanding research on how bacterial endosymbionts become integrated into the biological networks of eukaryotic host cells.

Together with her team, Prof. Nowack investigates the evolution of endosymbiosis and the transition of bacterial endosymbionts into cell organelles. Using the amoeba Paulinella chromatophora and the flagellate Angomonas deanei as model systems, her research has shown that even evolutionarily young endosymbionts can depend on proteins encoded in the host cell nucleus. These findings provide important insights into the gradual evolution of organelles and the molecular mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells control and utilise intracellular bacteria.

The Miescher-Ishida Prize, established in 1986 by the International Society of Endocytobiology and the University of Tübingen, honours scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of endocytobiology—the study of interactions between eukaryotic cells and endosymbionts or organelles derived from them.

Congratulations to Prof. Nowack for her outstanding work!

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A major success for MibiNet, as two new doctoral students at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) will investigate how pathogenic fungi and plants communicate at the molecular level. Their research is part of nEXt-RNA (next generation scientists studying extracellular RNA), a highly competitive doctoral training network coordinated by the University of Hamburg and funded by the European Union through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks programme. The consortium brings together seven European universities, with additional academic and industry partners.

The research group led by Prof. Dr Michael Feldbrügge focuses on how U. maydis uses mRNA to communicate with and reprogramme maize cells in ways that support fungal growth. In particular, the Düsseldorf team will investigate how extracellular mRNA (exRNA) is transported from the fungus to the plant. Understanding these mechanisms could contribute to developing crops with improved resistance to fungal infections and environmental stresses.

The nEXt-RNA project takes a broad, interdisciplinary approach to understanding species-to-species communication through extracellular RNA. It will investigate different host–pathogen interactions at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels, comparing viral, microbial, plant, animal and human systems. The long-term goal is to identify new approaches for combating pathogens.

In addition to the University of Hamburg and HHU, the network includes universities in Crete, Palermo, Utrecht, Edinburgh and Paris, as well as further academic and industry partners. The French company Serendip is among the partners, with a focus on translating research findings into applications.

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MibiNet member Khaled Selim together with a team of researchers from HHU and the University of Tübingen have discovered that multicellular cyanobacteria already used cell-to-cell communication structures remarkably similar to those found in eukaryotes. The findings provide new insights into the early evolution of cellular communication.

Interested in the research? Click here to find out more!

^23.05.2026 We are thrilled to share that our team member, Rudvi Pednker, recently participated in the prestigious EMBL Symposium ‘The cellular mechanics of symbiosis: sensing friend from foe’. Rudvi represented our group outstandingly by both giving a quick talk and presenting a poster.

To top off this scientific highlight, she was awarded a Poster Prize for her exceptional work!

In her talk, Rudvi introduced a cutting-edge synthetic biology approach to retrace the complex history of endosymbiosis. Using mammalian cells as an orthogonal platform, her project bypasses the limitations of genetic manipulation in traditional models such as Angomonas deanei. By implementing advanced tools like optogenetics for light-controlled protein interactions and establishing a non-invasive PEG-mediated fusion protocol to deliver endosymbionts into HeLa cells, her work lays the foundation for creating synthetic symbiosis systems.

Congratulations, Rudvi, on this well-deserved recognition from the international scientific community!

We are proud to announce that Dr. Kun Tang, an associated Postdoc within MibiNet at the Institute of Synthetic Biology (HHU), will be embarking on a new academic chapter. Starting May 1st, 2026, she will join the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, China, as an Associate Professor.

We wish Kun all the best for her future research!

A major success for Microbiology in Düsseldorf: Dr. Florian Altegoer has been awarded the prestigious "Exploration Grant" by the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. With this funding, he will spend the next two years investigating how the corn smut fungus (Ustilago maydis) identifies the perfect moment to trigger an infection. An exciting project at the intersection of molecular sensing and pathogenicity.

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Cells are complex logistics hubs. In a new "Breakthrough" study published in Nucleic Acids Research (NAR), a team led by Prof. Michael Feldbrügge has deciphered how the protein Rrm4 recognizes mRNA molecules and navigates them precisely through the cell. This discovery provides deep insights into the internal organization of fungal cells—a key element in understanding the complex microbial networks within MibiNet.

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A reason to celebrate at MibiNet: Nora has not only successfully defended her dissertation but was also recognized with honors for her outstanding research. In doing so, she makes history within our network as the very first member of the MibiNext cohort to earn her doctoral degree.

We are incredibly proud of this achievement and extend our warmest congratulations to Nora on this excellent performance. Her success marks a significant milestone for the entire MibiNext program.

We wish her all the best for her future scientific career!

Excellence in early-career research at HHU: Dr. Eliza Loo has been awarded a grant from the "Klaus Tschira Boost Fund." Her project focuses on targeted programming of plant microbiomes—a key topic for sustainable agriculture and for MibiNet.

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MibiNet is growing: We are delighted to welcome Johannes Rebelein to our team. He has been appointed W3 Professor of Sustainable Biotechnology at HHU and will bring his extensive experience to our network. We look forward to our journey together and many exciting projects!

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