Overview
Background
Overview
Professor Waldemar Vollmer is a microbiologist working on the structure and biogenesis of the bacterial cell wall in various model bacteria and a range of pathogenic and environmental bacteria. He is particularly interested in how bacteria enlarge their cell wall when they grow and divide, and how antibiotics inhibit cell wall synthesis to kill bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that is predicted to claim 10 million lives annually by the year 2050 if no new antibiotics are developed. Currently the pipeline of antibiotic development is almost empty and mostly limited to slightly modified versions to existing antibiotics. Professor Vollmer addresses the problem of AMR by generating tailored assays for the development of novel antibiotics that target AMR bacteria.
Collaborations: Professor Vollmer collaborates world-wide with more than 50 researchers at top national and international institutions on cell wall topics in over 30 different bacteria. These topics include: structure and composition of the cell wall and its role in maintaining cell morphology; molecular mechanisms of cell envelope biogenesis; role of new cell wall modifying enzymes in the interaction of pathogenic bacteria with components of the immune system; mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and targeting of cell wall biogenesis by new antibiotics.
Funding and Publications: Professor Vollmer has been awarded more than $15 million funding from research councils and charities in Germany, UK, Europe and USA. He has published more than 200 articles in international journals and has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher in Microbiology.
Honours and Awards: Professor Vollmer has been elected to Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2014) and European Academy of Microbiology (2018). He received the annual Academic Distinction Awards from the Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University (2014), has been awarded a Distinguished Scientist Visiting Scholarships at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel, 2012) and a Visiting Professorship at the University of Cagliari (Italy, 2015), and won a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (2014). He has co-organised the 2018 Gordon Conference (GRC) "Bacterial Cell Surfaces" (Mt Snow, USA) and the 2016 EMBO Workshop "Bacterial Cell Division: Orchestrating the Ring Cycle" (Prague, Czech Republic).
Short Biography: Prof Waldemar Vollmer has studied chemistry at the University of Applied Sciences in Reutlingen (Germany) and University of Basel (Switzerland). In 1998 he obtained a PhD degree (Dr.rer.nat.) from the University of Tübingen (Germany) for his work on cell wall synthesis in the model bacterium Escherichia coli undertaken at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology. During his postdoctoral studies at the Rockefeller University (New York, USA) he discovered novel cell wall enzymes that are crucial for the virulence of the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pneumoiae. In 2003 he was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Tübingen and moved 2007 to the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology at Newcastle University (UK), where he worked as Professor of Bacterial Biochemistry on various bacterial cell wall topics in a range of different bacteria. Since April 2023 he is Professorial Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Centre for Superbug Solutions, Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at the University of Queensland.
Availability
- Professor Waldemar Vollmer is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Research impacts
Professor Vollmer's basic research on the bacterial cell envelope has led to key advances in our understanding of bacterial cell function and has discovered molecular mechanisms that can be exploited for antibiotic development.
Key research outputs: Prof Vollmer's group has discovered mechanisms of PG biosynthesis and its regulation, novel cell wall enzymes, and mechanisms of coordination between PG synthesis and outer membrane biogenesis. These discoveries provided the first molecular insights into how bacteria robustly maintain, enlarge and modify their cell envelope when they propagate in diverse environments and under stress conditions, and when exposed to antibiotics.
Key capabilities: Prof Vollmer's group is expert in the analysis of the composition of peptidoglycan, the key shape-maintaining and stress-bearing component of the bacterial cell envelope. They also discover new cell wall enzymes and study the activities and interactions of of key cell wall synthases and hydrolases (lysins or autolysins). They are also expert in determining the cleavage site of cell wall-degrading lysins and establishing biochemical assays for cell wall enzymes, for studying their inhibition by antibiotics. They combine their molecular biology work with studies on the physiology of bacterial cells impaired in cell wall biogenesis.
Works
Search Professor Waldemar Vollmer’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2022
Journal Article
Peptidoglycan maturation controls outer membrane protein assembly
Mamou, Gideon, Corona, Federico, Cohen-Khait, Ruth, Housden, Nicholas G., Yeung, Vivian, Sun, Dawei, Sridhar, Pooja, Pazos, Manuel, Knowles, Timothy J., Kleanthous, Colin and Vollmer, Waldemar (2022). Peptidoglycan maturation controls outer membrane protein assembly. Nature, 606 (7916), 953-959. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04834-7
Featured
2021
Journal Article
Real-time monitoring of peptidoglycan synthesis by membrane-reconstituted penicillin-binding proteins
Hernandez-Rocamora, Victor M., Baranova, Natalia, Peters, Katharina, Breukink, Eefjan, Loose, Martin and Vollmer, Waldemar (2021). Real-time monitoring of peptidoglycan synthesis by membrane-reconstituted penicillin-binding proteins. eLife, 10, 1-32. doi: 10.7554/eLife.61525
Featured
2020
Journal Article
Regulation of peptidoglycan synthesis and remodelling
Egan, Alexander J. F., Errington, Jeff and Vollmer, Waldemar (2020). Regulation of peptidoglycan synthesis and remodelling. Nature Reviews. Microbiology, 18 (8), 446-460. doi: 10.1038/s41579-020-0366-3
Featured
2020
Journal Article
Outer membrane lipoprotein NlpI scaffolds peptidoglycan hydrolases within multi-enzyme complexes in Escherichia coli
Banzhaf, Manuel, Yau, Hamish C. L., Verheul, Jolanda, Lodge, Adam, Kritikos, George, Mateus, Andre, Cordier, Baptiste, Hov, Ann Kristin, Stein, Frank, Wartel, Morgane, Pazos, Manuel, Solovyova, Alexandra S., Breukink, Eefjan, van Teeffelen, Sven, Savitski, Mikhail M., den Blaauwen, Tanneke, Typas, Athanasios and Vollmer, Waldemar (2020). Outer membrane lipoprotein NlpI scaffolds peptidoglycan hydrolases within multi-enzyme complexes in Escherichia coli. The EMBO Journal, 39 (5) e102246, 1-20. doi: 10.15252/embj.2019102246
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Z-ring membrane anchors associate with cell wall synthases to initiate bacterial cell division
Pazos, Manuel, Peters, Katharina, Casanova, Mercedes, Palacios, Pilar, VanNieuwenhze, Michael, Breukink, Eefjan, Vicente, Miguel and Vollmer, Waldemar (2018). Z-ring membrane anchors associate with cell wall synthases to initiate bacterial cell division. Nature Communications, 9 (1) 5090, 5090. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07559-2
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Copper inhibits peptidoglycan LD-transpeptidases suppressing beta-lactam resistance due to bypass of penicillin-binding proteins
Peters, Katharina, Pazos, Manuel, Edoo, Zainab, Hugonnet, Jean-Emmanuel, Martorana, Alessandra M., Polissi, Alessandra, VanNieuwenhze, Michael S., Arthur, Michel and Vollmer, Waldemar (2018). Copper inhibits peptidoglycan LD-transpeptidases suppressing beta-lactam resistance due to bypass of penicillin-binding proteins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115 (42), 10786-10791. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1809285115
Featured
2015
Journal Article
Coordination of peptidoglycan synthesis and outer membrane constriction during Escherichia coli cell division
Gray, Andrew N., Egan, Alexander J. F., van't Veer, Inge L., Verheul, Jolanda, Colavin, Alexandre, Koumoutsi, Alexandra, Biboy, Jacob, Altelaar, A. F. Maarten, Damen, Mirjam J., Huang, Kerwyn Casey, Simorre, Jean-Pierre, Breukink, Eefjan, den Blaauwen, Tanneke, Typas, Athanasios, Gross, Carol A. and Vollmer, Waldemar (2015). Coordination of peptidoglycan synthesis and outer membrane constriction during Escherichia coli cell division. Elife, 4 e07118. doi: 10.7554/eLife.07118
Featured
2014
Journal Article
Outer-membrane lipoprotein LpoB spans the periplasm to stimulate the peptidoglycan synthase PBP1B
Egan, Alexander J. F., Jean, Nicolas L., Koumoutsi, Alexandra, Bougault, Catherine M., Biboy, Jacob, Sassine, Jad, Solovyova, Alexandra S., Breukink, Eefjan, Typas, Athanasios, Vollmer, Waldemar and Simorre, Jean-Pierre (2014). Outer-membrane lipoprotein LpoB spans the periplasm to stimulate the peptidoglycan synthase PBP1B. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111 (22), 8197-8202. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1400376111
Featured
2010
Journal Article
Regulation of Peptidoglycan Synthesis by Outer-Membrane Proteins
Typas, Athanasios, Banzhaf, Manuel, van Saparoea, Bart van den Berg, Verheul, Jolanda, Biboy, Jacob, Nichols, Robert J., Zietek, Matylda, Beilharz, Katrin, Kannenberg, Kai, von Rechenberg, Moritz, Breukink, Eefjan, den Blaauwen, Tanneke, Gross, Carol A. and Vollmer, Waldemar (2010). Regulation of Peptidoglycan Synthesis by Outer-Membrane Proteins. Cell, 143 (7), 1097-1109. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.11.038
2024
Journal Article
An outer membrane porin-lipoprotein complex modulates elongasome movement to establish cell curvature in Rhodospirillum rubrum
Pöhl, Sebastian, Giacomelli, Giacomo, Meyer, Fabian M., Kleeberg, Volker, Cohen, Eli J., Biboy, Jacob, Rosum, Julia, Glatter, Timo, Vollmer, Waldemar, van Teeseling, Muriel C. F., Heider, Johann, Bramkamp, Marc and Thanbichler, Martin (2024). An outer membrane porin-lipoprotein complex modulates elongasome movement to establish cell curvature in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 7616. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51790-z
2024
Journal Article
Cell division cycle fluctuation of Pal concentration in Escherichia coli
Mertens, Laureen M.Y., Liu, Xinwei, Verheul, Jolanda, Egan, Alexander J.F., Vollmer, Waldemar and den Blaauwen, Tanneke (2024). Cell division cycle fluctuation of Pal concentration in Escherichia coli. Access Microbiology, 6 (11). doi: 10.1099/acmi.0.000759.v3
2024
Journal Article
Peptidoglycan Endopeptidase <scp>PBP7</scp> Facilitates the Recruitment of <scp>FtsN</scp> to the Divisome and Promotes Peptidoglycan Synthesis in <i>Escherichia coli</i>
Liu, Xinwei, Boelter, Gabriela, Vollmer, Waldemar, Banzhaf, Manuel and den Blaauwen, Tanneke (2024). Peptidoglycan Endopeptidase PBP7 Facilitates the Recruitment of FtsN to the Divisome and Promotes Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Escherichia coli. Molecular Microbiology, 122 (5), 743-756. doi: 10.1111/mmi.15321
2024
Journal Article
Staphylococcus aureus stress response to bicarbonate depletion
Liberini, Elisa, Fan, Sook-Ha, Bayer, Arnold S., Beck, Christian, Biboy, Jacob, François, Patrice, Gray, Joe, Hipp, Katharina, Koch, Iris, Peschel, Andreas, Sailer, Brigitte, Vollmer, Daniela, Vollmer, Waldemar and Götz, Friedrich (2024). Staphylococcus aureus stress response to bicarbonate depletion. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25 (17) 9251. doi: 10.3390/ijms25179251
2024
Journal Article
A Review of Antibacterial Candidates with New Modes of Action
Butler, Mark S., Vollmer, Waldemar, Goodall, Emily C. A., Capon, Robert J., Henderson, Ian R. and Blaskovich, Mark A. T. (2024). A Review of Antibacterial Candidates with New Modes of Action. ACS Infectious Diseases, 10 (10), 3440-3474. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00218
2024
Journal Article
Correction: A dynamic bactofilin cytoskeleton cooperates with an M23 endopeptidase to control bacterial morphogenesis
Pöhl, Sebastian, Osorio-Valeriano, Manuel, Cserti, Emöke, Harberding, Jannik, Hernandez-Tamayo, Rogelio, Biboy, Jacob, Sobetzko, Patrick, Vollmer, Waldemar, Graumann, Peter L and Thanbichler, Martin (2024). Correction: A dynamic bactofilin cytoskeleton cooperates with an M23 endopeptidase to control bacterial morphogenesis. eLife, 13. doi: 10.7554/elife.101019
2024
Journal Article
Cleavage of an engulfment peptidoglycan hydrolase by a sporulation signature protease in Clostridioides difficile
Martins, Diogo, Nerber, Hailee N., Roughton, Charlotte G., Fasquelle, Amaury, Barwinska‐Sendra, Anna, Vollmer, Daniela, Gray, Joe, Vollmer, Waldemar, Sorg, Joseph A., Salgado, Paula S., Henriques, Adriano O. and Serrano, Mónica (2024). Cleavage of an engulfment peptidoglycan hydrolase by a sporulation signature protease in Clostridioides difficile. Molecular Microbiology, 122 (2), 213-229. doi: 10.1111/mmi.15291
2024
Journal Article
PBP-A, a cyanobacterial dd-peptidase with high specificity for amidated muropeptides, exhibits pH-dependent promiscuous activity harmful to Escherichia coli
Dorrazehi, Gol Mohammad, Winkle, Matthias, Desmet, Martin, Stroobant, Vincent, Tanriver, Gamze, Degand, Hervé, Evrard, Damien, Desguin, Benoît, Morsomme, Pierre, Biboy, Jacob, Gray, Joe, Mitusińska, Karolina, Góra, Artur, Vollmer, Waldemar and Soumillion, Patrice (2024). PBP-A, a cyanobacterial dd-peptidase with high specificity for amidated muropeptides, exhibits pH-dependent promiscuous activity harmful to Escherichia coli. Scientific Reports, 14 (1) 13999. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-64806-x
2024
Journal Article
Reduced peptidoglycan synthesis capacity impairs growth of <i>E. coli</i> at high salt concentration
Alodaini, Dema, Hernandez-Rocamora, Victor, Boelter, Gabriela, Ma, Xuyu, Alao, Micheal B., Doherty, Hannah M., Bryant, Jack A., Moynihan, Patrick, Moradigaravand, Danesh, Glinkowska, Monika, Vollmer, Waldemar and Banzhaf, Manuel (2024). Reduced peptidoglycan synthesis capacity impairs growth of E. coli at high salt concentration. mBio, 15 (4), e0032524. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00325-24
2024
Book Chapter
Monitoring the interaction of the peptidoglycan with the bacterial β-barrel assembly machinery
Corona, Federico and Vollmer, Waldemar (2024). Monitoring the interaction of the peptidoglycan with the bacterial β-barrel assembly machinery. Transmembrane β-barrel proteins: methods and protocols. (pp. 159-183) edited by Raffaele Ieva. New York, NY, United States: Humana. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3734-0_11
2024
Journal Article
Peptidoglycan-Targeted [<sup>18</sup>F]3,3,3-Trifluoro-<scp>d</scp>-alanine Tracer for Imaging Bacterial Infection
Sorlin, Alexandre M., López-Álvarez, Marina, Biboy, Jacob, Gray, Joe, Rabbitt, Sarah J., Rahim, Junaid Ur, Lee, Sang Hee, Bobba, Kondapa Naidu, Blecha, Joseph, Parker, Mathew F.L., Flavell, Robert R., Engel, Joanne, Ohliger, Michael, Vollmer, Waldemar and Wilson, David M. (2024). Peptidoglycan-Targeted [18F]3,3,3-Trifluoro-d-alanine Tracer for Imaging Bacterial Infection. JACS Au, 4 (3), 1039-1047. doi: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00776
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Waldemar Vollmer is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting bacterial cell envelope coordination for antibiotic drug discovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Brett Collins
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Doctor Philosophy
Novel assays for antibiotic discovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Rob Capon
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Doctor Philosophy
Dissecting the bacterial cell envelope for antibiotic drug discovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicholas Ariotti, Professor Rob Capon
Media
Enquiries
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