Rolf Kümmerli
@rkmicrobes.bsky.social
Professor at University of Zurich, Microbiology, Evolution, Ecology, Microbial Interactions, Infections
This paper allowed us to explore new territories, away from secondary metabolites towards getting a deeper understanding of amino acid metabolism and the frequency of auxotrophies in pseudomonads.
Auxotrophy is thought to be common among bacteria but not in environmental pseudomonas spp? Thanks to all the co-authors who contributed and made this research possible: Benjamin Heiniger, Shaohua Gu, @swagatika.bsky.social, Christian Ahrens and @rkmicrobes.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/1462...
doi.org/10.1111/1462...
Low Levels of Amino Acid Auxotrophy Among Environmental <fi>Pseudomonas</fi> Isolates
We explored the frequency of auxotrophy among co-isolated natural Pseudomonas spp. We used a combination of in vitro and in silico approaches to assess the frequency of auxotrophy in communities and ....
doi.org
October 5, 2026 at 12:30 PM
This paper allowed us to explore new territories, away from secondary metabolites towards getting a deeper understanding of amino acid metabolism and the frequency of auxotrophies in pseudomonads.
Reposted by Rolf Kümmerli
Predation resistance mechanisms operate at an individual level, adaptations are sometimes pleiotropic and compensatory. Thanks to all my co-authors who made this research possible Ove, Sarah, Saskia, Bernd, @rkmicrobes.bsky.social @simonahuwiler.bsky.social #AMR #Bdello #Evolution
tiny.cc/2qpa101
tiny.cc/2qpa101
September 18, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Predation resistance mechanisms operate at an individual level, adaptations are sometimes pleiotropic and compensatory. Thanks to all my co-authors who made this research possible Ove, Sarah, Saskia, Bernd, @rkmicrobes.bsky.social @simonahuwiler.bsky.social #AMR #Bdello #Evolution
tiny.cc/2qpa101
tiny.cc/2qpa101
Reposted by Rolf Kümmerli
Many thanks to my co-corresponding and first author @subhammridha.bsky.social as well as @rkmicrobes.bsky.social for the collaboration on this extensive study. This work was additionally supported by three great Master students (Ove, Sarah & Saskia) as well as Bernd from FGCZ Zürich.
September 18, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Many thanks to my co-corresponding and first author @subhammridha.bsky.social as well as @rkmicrobes.bsky.social for the collaboration on this extensive study. This work was additionally supported by three great Master students (Ove, Sarah & Saskia) as well as Bernd from FGCZ Zürich.
Our new review article elaboring on how siderophores can shape bacterial interactions and community building @simonmarech.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com
September 16, 2026 at 6:24 AM
Our new review article elaboring on how siderophores can shape bacterial interactions and community building @simonmarech.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Our new primer article published in Microbiology @microbiologysociety.org for all those who want to benefit from a light entry into metallophore biology
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Microbial Primer: Bacterial metallophores – their role for metal homeostasis and social interactions
Metals are essential trace elements for almost all organisms including bacteria. Yet, metals are toxic at high concentrations, requiring fine-tuned regulatory mechanisms to steer metal homeostasis ins...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
May 5, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Our new primer article published in Microbiology @microbiologysociety.org for all those who want to benefit from a light entry into metallophore biology
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Our new study combines experiments with bioinformatics to examine amino acid metabolism in Pseudomonas strains co-isolated from pond and soil communities
by Simon Maréchal, Beni Heiniger, @swagatika.bsky.social, Shaohua Gu, Christian Ahrens
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
by Simon Maréchal, Beni Heiniger, @swagatika.bsky.social, Shaohua Gu, Christian Ahrens
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
February 18, 2026 at 7:36 AM
Our new study combines experiments with bioinformatics to examine amino acid metabolism in Pseudomonas strains co-isolated from pond and soil communities
by Simon Maréchal, Beni Heiniger, @swagatika.bsky.social, Shaohua Gu, Christian Ahrens
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
by Simon Maréchal, Beni Heiniger, @swagatika.bsky.social, Shaohua Gu, Christian Ahrens
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Our first study on clinical isolates: genetic, phenotypic and behavioural patterns among P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and H. influenzae from children with CF @schluk.bsky.social @friendlymicrobe.bsky.social @serenaprovveduto.bsky.social Markus Hilty Philipp Latzin etal
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
January 31, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Our first study on clinical isolates: genetic, phenotypic and behavioural patterns among P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and H. influenzae from children with CF @schluk.bsky.social @friendlymicrobe.bsky.social @serenaprovveduto.bsky.social Markus Hilty Philipp Latzin etal
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Joint MSc project 👉 joint paper on Legionella-Pseudomonas interactions, together with @alecava.bsky.social, Johanna Kohler, @mgabrielli.bsky.social,
@veraeva.bsky.social, and @drinkmic.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@veraeva.bsky.social, and @drinkmic.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
January 20, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Joint MSc project 👉 joint paper on Legionella-Pseudomonas interactions, together with @alecava.bsky.social, Johanna Kohler, @mgabrielli.bsky.social,
@veraeva.bsky.social, and @drinkmic.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@veraeva.bsky.social, and @drinkmic.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Rolf Kümmerli
bioRxiv by @alecava.bsky.social, Johanna Kohler, @mgabrielli.bsky.social, @veraeva.bsky.social, @rkmicrobes.bsky.social, and @drinkmic.bsky.social
Siderophore-mediated inhibition of Legionella pneumophila by environmental Pseudomonas isolates
Siderophore-mediated inhibition of Legionella pneumophila by environmental Pseudomonas isolates
Siderophore-mediated inhibition of Legionella pneumophila by environmental Pseudomonas isolates https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.700273v1
January 20, 2026 at 8:31 AM
bioRxiv by @alecava.bsky.social, Johanna Kohler, @mgabrielli.bsky.social, @veraeva.bsky.social, @rkmicrobes.bsky.social, and @drinkmic.bsky.social
Siderophore-mediated inhibition of Legionella pneumophila by environmental Pseudomonas isolates
Siderophore-mediated inhibition of Legionella pneumophila by environmental Pseudomonas isolates
Sabbatical output #3. I have learnt a lot about metabolomics and its application in forensics.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Untargeted Metabolomics for Forensic Body Fluid Identification-A Pilot Study
Determining the bodily origin of biological traces is a valuable tool in forensic investigations as it helps corroborate testimonies, reconstruct crime-related activities, and select relevant samples ...
pubs.acs.org
January 13, 2026 at 9:49 AM
Sabbatical output #3. I have learnt a lot about metabolomics and its application in forensics.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Sabbatical output #2. I had the privilege to support colleagues from Ghana with their work on antibiotic resistance.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
Frontiers | Mapping antibiotic resistance in Ghana: a narrative review of regional variations in antibiotic-resistant ESKAPEE pathogens
IntroductionAntibiotic resistance (ABR) is a global health crisis and a significant public health challenge in Ghana. This narrative review aims to uncover t...
www.frontiersin.org
January 13, 2026 at 9:48 AM
Sabbatical output #2. I had the privilege to support colleagues from Ghana with their work on antibiotic resistance.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
Sabbatical output #1. I had the opportunity to learn much about plan iron nutrition and could help to extend the concepts of siderophore-mediated interactions from microbes to plants.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Sabbatical output #1. I had the opportunity to learn much about plan iron nutrition and could help to extend the concepts of siderophore-mediated interactions from microbes to plants.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
After long radio silence, I have decided to come back to bluesky and post about our work. 2025 was mainly shaped by my sabbatical and excursions into other research domains. In 2026, it’s time to move back to my core work on bacterial interactions. 👇
kuemmerli-lab.weebly.com
kuemmerli-lab.weebly.com
KÜMMERLI LAB
Bacteria live in complex communities, consisting of several strains of the same species and multiple different species. Within these communities, there are ample opportunities for bacteria to...
kuemmerli-lab.weebly.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:47 AM
After long radio silence, I have decided to come back to bluesky and post about our work. 2025 was mainly shaped by my sabbatical and excursions into other research domains. In 2026, it’s time to move back to my core work on bacterial interactions. 👇
kuemmerli-lab.weebly.com
kuemmerli-lab.weebly.com
We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc to work on pathogen interactions. Please send in your application via
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
UZH: Postdoctoral researcher in microbiology
The Department of Quantitative Biomedicine is an interdisciplinary biomedical research unit that combines basic science with biotechnological and medical research, using both experimental and computat...
jobs.uzh.ch
June 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc to work on pathogen interactions. Please send in your application via
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
Our opinion piece on the role of microbial siderophores for One Health is now out
with Zhong Wei, Shaohua Gu, Yuanmei Zuo, Zhiyuan Li and @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
with Zhong Wei, Shaohua Gu, Yuanmei Zuo, Zhiyuan Li and @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Microbial siderophores for One Health
One Health is an integrative concept striving for healthy environments, animals, and
humans. Microbes play a fundamental role for this concept as they are key drivers
of ecosystem stability and host h...
www.cell.com
June 5, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Our opinion piece on the role of microbial siderophores for One Health is now out
with Zhong Wei, Shaohua Gu, Yuanmei Zuo, Zhiyuan Li and @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
with Zhong Wei, Shaohua Gu, Yuanmei Zuo, Zhiyuan Li and @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Reposted by Rolf Kümmerli
Microbial siderophores for One Health
#Pseudomonas
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Opinion by Zhong Wei et al with @rkmicrobes.bsky.social @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
#Pseudomonas
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Opinion by Zhong Wei et al with @rkmicrobes.bsky.social @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Microbial siderophores for One Health
One Health is an integrative concept striving for healthy environments, animals, and
humans. Microbes play a fundamental role for this concept as they are key drivers
of ecosystem stability and host h...
www.cell.com
June 4, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Microbial siderophores for One Health
#Pseudomonas
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Opinion by Zhong Wei et al with @rkmicrobes.bsky.social @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
#Pseudomonas
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Opinion by Zhong Wei et al with @rkmicrobes.bsky.social @veraeva.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Reposted by Rolf Kümmerli
ISME congratulates Tess Brewer, Hans Bernstein, and @rkmicrobes.bsky.social for winning the Outstanding Editorial Board Member Awards for their contributions to The ISME Journal.
🔗 isme-microbes.org/editorial-bo...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes
🔗 isme-microbes.org/editorial-bo...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes
April 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
ISME congratulates Tess Brewer, Hans Bernstein, and @rkmicrobes.bsky.social for winning the Outstanding Editorial Board Member Awards for their contributions to The ISME Journal.
🔗 isme-microbes.org/editorial-bo...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes
🔗 isme-microbes.org/editorial-bo...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes
My sabbatical has started!
March 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM
My sabbatical has started!
New preprint! How S. aureus copes with inhibitory compounds secreted by P. aeruginosa. By @schluk.bsky.social. Great collaboration with @fgcz-en.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
February 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM
New preprint! How S. aureus copes with inhibitory compounds secreted by P. aeruginosa. By @schluk.bsky.social. Great collaboration with @fgcz-en.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
New paper out in ISME Journal. Social interactions between strains shape bacterial communities. However, their impact on community functioning is lower compared to basic strain identity features. @joskramer.bsky.social @alexfig.bsky.social @simonmarech.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Strain identity effects contribute more to Pseudomonas community functioning than strain interactions
Abstract. Microbial communities can shape key ecological services, but the determinants of their functioning often remain little understood. While traditio
academic.oup.com
February 12, 2025 at 7:58 AM
New paper out in ISME Journal. Social interactions between strains shape bacterial communities. However, their impact on community functioning is lower compared to basic strain identity features. @joskramer.bsky.social @alexfig.bsky.social @simonmarech.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Reposted by Rolf Kümmerli
Strain identity effects contribute more to Pseudomonas community functioning than strain interactions
#ISMEJournal by @joskramer.bsky.social et al from @rkmicrobes.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
#ISMEJournal by @joskramer.bsky.social et al from @rkmicrobes.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Strain identity effects contribute more to Pseudomonas community functioning than strain interactions
Abstract. Microbial communities can shape key ecological services, but the determinants of their functioning often remain little understood. While traditio
academic.oup.com
February 9, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Strain identity effects contribute more to Pseudomonas community functioning than strain interactions
#ISMEJournal by @joskramer.bsky.social et al from @rkmicrobes.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
#ISMEJournal by @joskramer.bsky.social et al from @rkmicrobes.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
We derive iron-siderophore interaction networks among Pseudomonas strains from sequencing data. One key insight: natural strains form dense networks, whereas pathogens are loners. With @frimanscience.bsky.social @zhiyuanli.bsky.social & Nanjing colleagues
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Siderophore synthetase-receptor gene coevolution reveals habitat- and pathogen-specific bacterial iron interaction networks
Coevolving siderophore genes shape bacterial iron networks, unveiling the complexity of cheating across habitats and lifestyles.
www.science.org
January 16, 2025 at 9:29 AM
We derive iron-siderophore interaction networks among Pseudomonas strains from sequencing data. One key insight: natural strains form dense networks, whereas pathogens are loners. With @frimanscience.bsky.social @zhiyuanli.bsky.social & Nanjing colleagues
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...