Dr Tobias Bergmiller

About me:

Quantitative Single-Cell Microbiology

My lab works at a broad range of topics that touch on synthetic biology, antibiotic resistance and phage biology. We are using a suite of quantitative tools including bespoke fluorescence microscopy and microfluidics.

Physiological effects of sub-inhibitory antibiotic concentrations on bacteria

Antibotic resistant bacteria are of global concern. Bacteria frequently encounter low and sub-inhibitory (sub-MIC) antibiotic concentrations either in nature by anthropogenic emissions or during treatment. We are specifically interested in the interplay between bacterial physiology such as growth and gene expression and sub-MIC antibiotics.

Synthetic Biology and Bacterial Devices

We are interested in using latest synthetic biology tools to control biological systems in order to unlock sustainable, antibiotic-and inducer-free modalities of biomolecule expression. 

Biography

Tobias Bergmiller joined the Living Systems Institute in February 2019 as Lecturer in Biosciences. He gained his PhD at ETH Zurich in Microbial Ecology and Evolution and did his PostDoc at IST Austria in Vienna.

Interests:

Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Adaptive Responses in Bacteria

Binary fission of rod-shaped bacteria results in virtually identical sibling cells, which consist of the same genetic makeup. Despite of being extremely similar, such clonal sibling cells can differ from each other phenotypically and consequently display distinct behaviors. Unequal or biased partitioning of cellular constituents at cell division is one non-exclusive, yet little understood mechanism that can generate such phenotypic heterogeneity. My work is focused on directional inheritance of cell structures leading to non-random variability in basic traits or determination of cell fate, such as cell size, live span or response to antibiotics. My recent work focuses on partitioning of multi-drug efflux pumps in Escherichia coli, which are large trans-membrane- and trans-envelope protein structures that are at the core of innate resistance to many classes of antibiotics, thus complicating antibiotic treatment. Here, biased partitioning results in different degrees of antibiotic tolerance in individual cell lineages. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms that underlie partitioning, I investigate translation of trans-membrane proteins and complex assembly at the subcellular level.

Qualifications:

2005-2011 PhD (Molecular Microbial Ecology and Evolution) ETH Zurich, Switzerland

1999 – 2005 Diploma/Masters (Microbiology) University of Constance, Germany

Career:

2019 – present Lecturer in Biosciences, University of Exeter

2018 Parental leave

2011 – 2017 PostDoc, IST Austria