Univ.-Prof. Thomas Böttcher
Professor, joint professorship with the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science and the Faculty of Chemistry
☎ +43 1 4277 70550
✉ thomas.boettcher(at)univie.ac.at
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Research Profiles
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Publications Overview
Thomas Böttcher’s group investigates the chemistry of microbial interactions, as well as chemical strategies for modulating coordinated population behaviours of microbes. Thomas and his team elucidate chemical structures of metabolites that mediate and control interactions between microbes and their human host. Their research exploits these compounds by synthetic chemistry, in order to develop species-specific antibiotics and anti-virulence compounds.
Additionally, the group is interested in chemical probes for active-site directed labelling of virulence-related enzymes and the development of customised inhibitors. Thus, Thomas’ research aims not only to build fundamental knowledge of the chemical interactions of microbes, but also to create chemical tools for precision microbiome interventions, with the ultimate vision of chemical microbiome engineering. Thomas has received a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator grant to investigate the chemistry of prophage induction.
Group Members
Lena Obereder
Secretary
Dr. Felix Anderl
Senior Scientist
Dr. Barbara Hufnagel
Senior Scientist
Dr. Magdalena Jancheva
Postdoc
Dr. Gina Porras Brenes
Postdoc
Dr. Dávid Szamosvári
Postdoc
Dr. Daniel Chrenko
Postdoc
Verena Filz
PhD Student
Shubham Joge
PhD Student
Etta Jost
PhD Student
Jessica Neubauer
PhD Student
Thi-Hong Nhung Nguyen
PhD Student
Konstantin Plöchl
PhD Student
Viktoriia Savchenko
PhD Student
Philipp Schmid
PhD Student
Nathalie Wörz
PhD Student
Julia Kaltenböck
PhD Student
Paulina Plienegger
Master's Student
Paul Hutze
Master's Student
Esther Kothbauer
Master's Student
Lisa Christiane Jobst
Master's Student
Publications
Mix AK, Nguyen THN, Schuhmacher T, Szamosvári D, Muenzner P, Haas P et al. A quinolone N-oxide antibiotic selectively targets Neisseria gonorrhoeae via its toxin–antitoxin system. Nature Microbiology. 2025 Apr;10(4):939-957. 35. doi: 10.1038/s41564-025-01968-y
Burger I, Schmal M, Peikert K, Fourtis L, Suster C, Stanetty C et al. Discovery of the antifungal compound ilicicolin K through genetic activation of the ilicicolin biosynthetic pathway in Trichoderma reesei. Biotechnology for biofuels and bioproducts. 2025 Mar 11;18(1):1-16. 32. doi: 10.1186/s13068-025-02628-3
Pereira FC, Ge X, Kristensen JM, Kirkegaard RH, Maritsch K, Szamosvári D et al. The Parkinson's disease drug entacapone disrupts gut microbiome homoeostasis via iron sequestration. Nature Microbiology. 2024 Dec;9(12):3165–3183. Epub 2024 Nov 21. doi: 10.1038/s41564-024-01853-0
Steuer J, Sinn M, Eble F, Rütschlin S, Böttcher T, Hartig JS et al. Cooperative binding of bivalent ligands yields new insights into the guanidine-II riboswitch. NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics. 2024 Sept 1;6(3):1-12. lqae132. doi: 10.1093/nargab/lqae132
Savchenko V, Jaegers M, Rasche R, Herrmann E, König S, Kümmel D et al. Unraveling key steps in the biosynthesis of antimicrobial methylated unsaturated 2-alkyl-4-quinolones of Burkholderia thailandensis. Cell Reports Physical Science. 2024 Aug 21;5(8):1-20. 102100. Epub 2024 Jul 10. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102100
Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health
Thomas Böttcher is part of the FWF-funded Cluster of Excellence (CoE)
