Ute Römling

I studied Biochemistry at the Technical University of Hannover, Germany. I subsequently performed my PhD thesis at the Hannover Medical School on ‘ Genome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa’ (1989-1993). After a first post-doc at the Hannover Medical School (1993-1995), I went for a second post-doctoral position to the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden (1995-1998). I subsequently held a junior research group leader position at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (1998-2001), until I returned to the KI in 2002 as an associate professor. Since 2012, I am full professor of Microbial Physiology. My  long-standing research interest is the molecular and epidemiological analysis of biofilm formation in microorganisms, including its impact on host interaction, with a certain focus on regulation by cyclic dinucleotide second messenger signaling and implication of extracellular matrix production. Another major long-standing research interest concerns the survival and persistence mechanisms of clone C of Pseudomonas aeruginosa world-wide predominant in patients and aquatic habitats.  Among major achievements I rate the (re)discovery of cyclic di-GMP and its identification as a second messenger involved in the sessility/motility single cell life style transition, first systematic genetic characterisation of Gram-negative biofilm formation in Salmonella typhimurium including identification of the exopolysaccharide cellulose as a major extracellular matrix component and discovery and molecular analysis of persistence mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone C.

Present Position

Since 2012 Professor of Medical Microbial Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology

Previous Positions
2002 – 2012 Associate Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology
1998 – 2001 Junior research group leader at the Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung (now Helmholtz Center for Infection Research), Braunschweig, Germany

Docent-Level Competence
2002 Molecular Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany

Postdoctoral Appointments
1996 – 1998 Karolinska Institutet, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Stockholm, Sweden, Mentor: Prof. Staffan Normark
1993- 1995 Medical School of Hannover (MHH), Germany, Dept of Biophysical Chemistry, Cystic fibrosis research group, Mentor: Prof. B. Tümmler

Doctoral Degree
1993 In Biochemistry about 'Genome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa' at the Technical University of Hannover, Germany, Supervisor: Prof. Günther Maass, Prof. Burkhard Tümmler

Education
1983 – 1989 Studies of Biochemistry (Diploma) at the Technical University of Hannover, Germany

Research interests
I am interested in the molecular mechanisms of microbial biofilm formation; in particular regulation of biofilm formation by cyclic di-nucleotide signaling; extracellular matrix components of biofilms and biofilm-host interactions. A second area of research concerns persistence and survival mechanisms of world-wide prevalent Pseudomonas aeruginosa clo

Distinctions and Awards

Adjunct faculty member of the University of Karachi, PakistanSelected member of Academia Net

Selected member of the European Academy of Microbiology

Young Investigator Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2000 of the ESCMID (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases), 2000
Sir Hans Krebs-Preis 1997 of the Society „Freunde der Medizinischen Hochschule e.V.“ for research work on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1997
5-year Elite Research position in Microbiology from KI, 2002 – 2006
5-year scholarship from the German Cancer Research Center for post-doctoral research in 'Infection Biology', 1996 – 2001 (including maternity leave)
Scholarship from the 'German Merit Foundation' for PhD work

Scholarship from the 'German cystic Fibrosis Foundation' for PhD work

Selected publications

Li F, Bähre H, Mohanty S, Brauner A, Rohde M and Römling U(2021) A single amino acid substitution in CapV leads to pronounced cell filamentation in Escherichia coli, manuscript published in BioRxiv. 

Kamal SM, Cimdins-Ahne A, Lee C, Li F, Rodriguez-Martinez AJ, Seferbekova Z, AfasizhevR, TesfayeWami H, Katikaridis P, Meins L, Lünsdorf H, Dobrindt U, Mogk A and Römling U(2021) A recently isolated human commensal Escherichia coli ST10 clone member mediates thermotolerance and tetrathionate respiration on a P1 phage derived IncY plasmid, Mol Microbiol, 2020, Sep 28, published online ahead of print; doi: 10.1111/mmi.14614.

Martín-Rodríguez, AJ, Reyes-Darias JA, Martín-Mora D, González JM, Krell T and Römling U(2021) Reduction of alternative electron acceptors drives biofilm formation in Shewanella algae, npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 7, Article number: 9; doi.org/10.1038/s41522-020-00177-

Liu, Y, Lee C, Li F, Trcek J, Bähre H, Guo R-T, Chen C-C, Chernobrovkin A, Zubarev R and Römling U(2020) A cyclic di-GMP network is present in Gram-positive Streptococcusand Gram-negative Proteus species, ACS Infectious Diseases, 6:2672-2687. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00314.

Zafar M, Jahan H, Shafeeq S, Nimtz M, Jänsch L,Römling Uand Choudhary MI (2020) Clarithromycin exerts an antibiofilm effect against Salmonella typhimuriumrdar biofilm formation and transforms the physiology towards an apparent oxygen-depleted carbon and energy metabolism, Infect Immun, IAI.00510-20. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00510-20.

Li F, CimdinsA, RohdeM, JänschL, KaeverV, NimtzM, RömlingU(2019) DncV synthesizes cyclic GAMP and regulates biofilm formation and motility in Escherichia coliECOR31, mBio, 10: pii: e02492-18.

KamalSM, RybtkeML, NimtzM, Sperlein S, GiskeC, TrčekJ, DechampsJ, BriandetR, Dini L, Jänsch L, Tolker-NielsenT, Lee C and Römling U(2019) Two FtsH proteases contribute to fitness and adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosaclone C strains, Frontiers Microbiol, 10, 1372. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01372.

Shafeeq S, Pannanusorn S, ElsharabasyY, Ramírez-ZavalaB, Morschhäuser J, and Römling U(2019) Impact of manganese on biofilm formation and cell morphology of Candida parapsilosis clinical isolates with different biofilm forming abilities, FEMS Yeast Research, 19: pii: fox057.doi: 10.1093/femsyr/foz057.

Lee CH, Kim H, Mansour Kamal S, Lünsdorf H, Nimtz, M, Jänsch L, Treck J, Bukau B, Mogk A, Römling U (2018) Stand-alone ClpG disaggregase confers superior heat tolerance to bacteria, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 115: E273-E282.doi: 10.1073/pnas.1712051115. 

Ahmad I, Fazle Rouf S, Sun L, Cimdins A, Shafeeq S, Le Guyon S, Schottkowski M, Rhen M and Römling U (2016) BcsZ inhibits biofilm phenotypes and promotes virulence by blocking cellulose production in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Microbial Cell Factories, 15, 177.

Kamal SM, Cimdins-Ahne A, Lee C, Li F, Rodriguez-Martinez AJ, Seferbekova Z, AfasizhevR, TesfayeWami H, Katikaridis P, Meins L, Lünsdorf H, Dobrindt U, Mogk A and Römling U(2021) A recently isolated human commensal Escherichia coli ST10 clone member mediates thermotolerance and tetrathionate respiration on a P1 phage derived IncY plasmid, Mol Microbiol, 2020, Sep 28, published online ahead of print; doi: 10.1111/mmi.14614.
Martín-Rodríguez, AJ, Reyes-Darias JA, Martín-Mora D, González JM, Krell T and Römling U(2021) Reduction of alternative electron acceptors drives biofilm formation in Shewanella algae, npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 7, Article number: 9; doi.org/10.1038/s41522-020-00177-1

Ahmad I, Fazle Rouf S, Sun L, Cimdins A, Shafeeq S, Le Guyon S, Schottkowski M, Rhen M and Römling U (2016) BcsZ inhibits biofilm phenotypes and promotes virulence by blocking cellulose production in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Microbial Cell Factories, 15, 177.

Lee CH, Wigren E., Trček J, Peters V, Kim J, Sharif Hasni M, Nimtz M, Lindqvist Y, Park C, Curth U, Lünsdorf H, and Römling U (2015) A novel protein quality control mechanism contributes to heat shock resistance of world-wide distributed Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone C strains, Environ Microbiol, 17, 4511-4526.
Zakikhany, K., Harrington, C.R., Nimtz, M., Hinton, J.C.D. and Römling, U. (2010) Unphosphorylated CsgD controls Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium biofilm formation, Mol Microbiol, 77, 771-786.
Holmqvist, E., Reimegård, J., Sterk, M., Grantcharova, N., Römling, U. and Wagner, EGH. (2010) Two antisense RNAs target the transcriptional regulator CsgD to inhibit curli synthesis. EMBO J, 29, 1840-1850.
Lamprokostopoulou, A., Monteiro, C., Rhen, M. and Römling, U. (2010) C-di-GMP controls virulence properties of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium at the mucosal lining, Environ Microbiol, 12, 40-53.
Jonas, K., Edwards, A.N., Simm R., Romeo, T., Römling, U. and Melefors, Ö. (2008) The RNA binding protein CsrA controls c-di-GMP metabolism by directly regulating the expression of GGDEF proteins. Mol Microbiol, 70, 236-257.
Kader, A., Simm, R., Gerstel, U., Morr, M. and Römling, U. (2006) Hierarchical involvement of various GGDEF domain proteins in rdar morphotype development of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Mol Microbiol, 60, 602-616.
Simm, R., Morr, M., Kader, A., Nimtz, M. and Römling, U. (2004) GGDEF and EAL domains inversely regulate cyclic di-GMP levels and transition from sessility to motility, Mol Microbiol, 53, 1123-1134.
Zogaj, X., Nimtz, M., Rohde, M., Bokranz, W. and Römling, U. (2001) The multicellular morphotypes of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli produce cellulose as the second component of the extracellular matrix, Mol Microbiol, 39, 1452-1463.
Römling, U., Rohde, M., Olsen, A., Normark, S. and Reinköster, J. (2000) AgfD, the checkpoint of multicellular and aggregative behaviour in Salmonella typhimurium regulates at least two independent pathways, Mol Microbiol, 36, 10-23.
Römling, U., Sierralta, W.D., Eriksson, K. and Normark, S. (1998) Multicellular and adhesive behaviour of Salmonella typhimurium strains is controlled by the agfD promoter, Mol Microbiol, 28, 249-264.
Schmidt, K.D., Tümmler, B. and Römling, U. (1996) Comparative genome mapping of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO with P. aeruginosa C, which belongs to a major clone in cystic fibrosis patients and aquatic habitats. J Bacteriol, 178, 85-93.
Römling, U., Fiedler, B., Boßhammer, J., Grothues, D., Greipel, J., von der Hardt, H. and Tümmler, B. (1994) Epidemiology of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in Cystic Fibrosis. J Infect Dis, 170, 1616-1621.
Römling, U., Wingender, J., Müller, H. and Tümmler, B. (1994) A major Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone common to patients and aquatic habitats. Appl. Environ Microbiol, 60, 1734-1738.
Römling, U., Grothues, D., Bautsch, W. and Tümmler, B. (1989) A physical genome map of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO. EMBO J, 8, 4081-4089.

Selected projects
Cyclic di-GMP signaling in Bacteria
Rdar colony biofilm formation in Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli
Persistence mechanisms of world-wide prevalent Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone C
Biofilm formation in Candida parapsilosis