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
Mou S, Savchenko V, Filz V, Böttcher T, DeShazer D. Burkholderia pseudomallei produces 2-alkylquinolone derivatives important for host virulence and competition with bacteria that employ naphthoquinones for aerobic respiration. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2024;15:1-19. 1474033. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1474033
Savchenko V, Szamosvári D, Bao Y, Pignitter M, Böttcher T. Biosynthetic flexibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa leads to hydroxylated 2-alkylquinolones with proinflammatory host response. Communications Chemistry. 2023 Dec;6(1):1-7. 138. doi: 10.1038/s42004-023-00937-y
Ückert AK, Rütschlin S, Gutbier S, Wörz NC, Miah MR, Martins AC et al. Identification of the bacterial metabolite aerugine as potential trigger of human dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Environment International. 2023 Oct 3;180:1-16. 108229. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108229
Szamosvari D, Savchenko V, Badouin N, Böttcher T. Beyond iron: metal-binding activity of the Pseudomonas quinolone signal-motif. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry. 2023 May 30;21(25):5158-5163. doi: 10.1039/d3ob00710c
Schmid P, Peñalver L, Böttcher T. A ligand selection strategy to customize small molecule probes for activity-based protein profiling (LS-ABPP). In Carlson EE, editor, Chemical Microbiology Part A. Cambridge; San Diego; Oxford; London: Elsevier. 2022. p. 23-58. (Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 664). doi: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.01.008
Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health
Thomas Böttcher is part of the FWF-funded Cluster of Excellence (CoE)
