Microbial Communication

Prof. Erika Kothe holds the Chair of Microbial Communication at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. Within ACP, her research focuses on optical visualization and spectroscopic characterization of microbial cells and interactions, with particular emphasis on filamentous fungi. Fluorescence microscopy, high-resolution imaging and microspectroscopic methods are used to investigate morphological development, cellular organization and communication processes in microbial systems.

Research Areas

Prof. Kothe's research within ACP focuses on optical imaging and spectroscopic analysis of microbial cells, with particular emphasis on fungal morphology and cell-cell interactions. Research interests include:

• Fluorescence imaging of fungal growth and development
• Visualization of morphological changes during microbial interactions
• High-resolution imaging of hyphal organization and cell polarity
• Optical analysis of membrane organization and intracellular structures
• Microspectroscopic characterization of microbial cells
• Fluorescence-based detection of microbial physiological states and communication-related processes

Teaching Fields

Professor Kothe teaches at the basic and advanced levels, including the coordination of the M.Sc. program Master‘s degree in Microbiology and she is involved in the Bachelor‘s and Master‘s degree programs in Biogeosciences. Additionally, she is involved in many graduate teaching programs. Subjects taught are:

• Microbiology and microbial cell biology
• Fungal biology and development
• Microscopic methods in microbiology
• Visualization of microbial interactions

Research Methods

The group applies optical imaging and microspectroscopic techniques to investigate microbial morphology, development and interactions. Relevant methods include:

• Fluorescence video microscopy and live-cell imaging
• High-resolution fluorescence microscopy
• Imaging of fluorescently labelled proteins and cellular structures
• Time-resolved imaging of fungal growth and morphological transitions
• Microspectroscopic analysis of microbial cells
• Quantitative image analysis of hyphal growth, cell polarity and microbial interactions
• Correlative optical imaging with molecular and genetic characterization

Recent Research Results

Optical imaging is used to investigate how filamentous fungi organize growth, polarity and cellular interactions. Fluorescence microscopy enables dynamic visualization of morphological changes during fungal development and provides spatial information on the distribution of cellular components involved in hyphal growth and signalling.

Recent work on the basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune has combined fluorescence microscopy with molecular and genetic analysis to investigate membrane organization and polar growth. Changes in sterol distribution and membrane-associated structures can be visualized directly and related to alterations in fungal morphology and development [1].

More broadly, fluorescence and high-resolution microscopy provide important tools for analysing fungal growth in complex three-dimensional environments. Advanced optical methods such as light-sheet fluorescence microscopy enable long-term three-dimensional imaging of fungal hyphae and mycelial architecture with reduced phototoxicity and high image contrast [2].

Microspectroscopic approaches provide a complementary, label-free route to microbial characterization. Raman microspectroscopy can reveal spatially resolved chemical information from fungal cells and hyphae and therefore offers an additional means of correlating morphology with molecular composition [3].

These optical approaches complement molecular microbiology by providing direct spatial and temporal access to microbial morphology, cellular organization and interaction processes.

[1] Kothe et al., fluorescence microscopy studies on fungal membrane organization and polar growth, current work.
[2] Ore et al., Biomed. Opt. Express 12, 3479 (2021).
[3] Raman microspectroscopy and imaging of filamentous fungi, J. Fungi 8, 354 (2022).

Link to the Microbial Communication Group