At the Department of Genetics the major microbial model systems (E. coli, budding yeasts and filamentous fungi) are employed to study how cells probe their environment and use signal transduction pathways to couple the regulation of gene expression to appropriate cellular responses. This involves i) the synthesis of fungal cell walls (with the applied aspects of antifungal drug development and cancer research), ii) the generation of fungal spores (which ensure their ubiquitous distribution), and iii) the regulation of central carbohydrate metabolism (mainly sugar transport and glycolysis, with its applications in wine production).

Besides the head of the department (Jürgen Heinisch), two subgroups (led by Knut Jahreis and Hans-Peter Schmitz) are investigating different aspects within this framework. Details on individual research projects can be found following the links below.