Christine Beemelmanns

Dr. Christine Beemelmanns

Chemical Biology of Microbe-Host Interactions · Head

Phone: +49 3641 532-1525 Fax: +49 3641 532-2525 Email: christine.beemelmanns@leibniz-hki.de

Main Research Areas
  • Isolation and determination of the structure of signal molecules and antimicrobial natural products
  • Characterisation of interactions between microbes and eucaryotes
  • Total synthesis of natural products and chemical derivatisation
Topics
Curriculum vitae

Professional Career

Since 12/2013 Junior group head at the Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, chemical biology of microbe-host-interactions
2011-2013 Postdoc at the Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, supervisor: Prof. J. Clardy, BCMP, Department of Biomolecular Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
2010-2011 Postdoc at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, chemical faculty (Tokyo, Japan) supervisor: Prof. K. Suzuki
2010 Dr. rer. nat. in chemistry, summa cum laude, Freie Universität Berlin
2007-2010 PhD dissertation, organic chemistry instructed by Prof. H.-U. Reißig at the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)
2006-2007 Research period at the RIKEN, chemistry, in the working group of Prof. M. Sodeoka (Japan)
2001-2006 Studies in chemistry, diploma at the RWTH Aachen (Germany)

Awards · Appointments · Scientific Activities

2020 Dozentenpreis des Fonds der Chemischen Industrie
2020 Visiting Professor in Madison Wisconsin USA
2019-2024 ERC Starting GRant MORPHEUS
2014-2015 Postdoc fellowship from the Daimler and Benz Foundation and the Reinhard Frank Foundation
Since 2014 Membership VAAM, FEMS and IUMS
Since 2014 Membership Dechema
Since 2014 Membership National Research Foundation of Korea
2011-2013 Postdoc fellowship from the Leopoldina Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften; Postdoc fellowship from the DFG rejected
2011 Ernst-Reuter-Award of the Freie Universität Berlin; Ernst-Reuter-Gesellschaft der Freunde, Förderer und Ehemaligen der Freien Universität Berlin (Berlin, Germany)
2010-2011 Postdoc fellowship from the DAAD
Since 2010 Member of the commission, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
2007-2010 Networking fellowship for doctoral researchers at the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
2007-2009 Doctoral fellowship funded by the Verband Chemischen Industrie (VCI)
2006 Springorum commemorative coin from the RWTH Aachen (Aachen, Germany)
2006 Procter and Gamble award, expert group chemistry at the RWTH Aachen
2006-2007 RIKEN fellowship from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
2004-2006 Studies in chemistry: fellowship from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Since 2003 Member of the GDCH
2003 Chemical award from the faculty for mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, RWTH Aachen
2003 Schöneborn award from the Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der RWTH Aachen e.V., RWTH Aachen (Aachen, Germany)
Publications

Benndorf R, Martin K, Küfner M, de Beer ZW, Vollmers J, Kaster AK, Beemelmanns C (2020) Actinomadura rubteroloni sp. nov. and Actinomadura macrotermitis sp. nov., isolated from the gut of the fungus growing-termite Macrotermes natalensis. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol [Epub ahead of print] Details PubMed Open Access

Benndorf R, Schwitalla JW, Martin K, de Beer ZW, Vollmers J, Kaster AK, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2020) Nocardia macrotermitis sp. nov. and Nocardia aurantia sp. nov., isolated from the gut of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol [Epub ahead of print] Details PubMed Open Access

Ghodsi Z, Kalbassi MR, Farzaneh P, Mobarez AM, Beemelmanns C, Amiri Moghaddam J (2020) Immunomodulatory function of antimicrobial peptide Ec-Hepcidin1 modulates the induction of inflammatory gene expression in primary cells of caspian trout (Salmo trutta caspius Kessler, 1877). Fish Shellfish Immunol 104, 55-61. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Guo H, Schwitalla JW, Benndorf R, Baunach M, Steinbeck C, Görls H, de Beer ZW, Regestein L, Beemelmanns C (2020) Gene cluster activation in a bacterial symbiont leads to halogenated angucyclic maduralactomycins and spirocyclic actinospirols. Org Lett 22(7), 2634-2638. Details PubMed

Hubert P, Seibel E, Beemelmanns C, Campagne JM, de Figueiredo RM (2020) Stereoselective construction of (E,Z)-1,3-dienes and its application in natural product synthesis. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis [Accepted] (Review) Details

Lee SR, Kreuzenberg N, Jang M, Oh T, Ko SK, Ahn JS, Beemelmanns C, Kim KH (2020) Xyloneside A: A new glycosylated incisterol derivative from Xylaria sp. FB. ChemBioChem 21(16), 2253-2258. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Lee SR, Lee D, Park M, Lee JC, Park HJ, Kang KS, Kim CE, Beemelmanns C, Kim KH (2020) Absolute configuration and corrected NMR assignment of 17-hydroxycyclooctatin, a fused 5-8-5 tricyclic diterpene. J Nat Prod 83(2), 354-361. Details PubMed

Maniei F, Moghaddam JA, Crüsemann M, Beemelmanns C, König GM, Wägele H (2020) From Persian Gulf to Indonesia: Interrelated phylogeographic distance and chemistry within the genus Peronia (Onchidiidae, Gastropoda, Mollusca). Sci Rep 10(1), 13048. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Peña-Ortiz L, Graça AP, Guo H, Braga D, Köllner TG, Regestein L, Beemelmanns C, Lackner G (2020) Structure elucidation of the redox cofactor mycofactocin reveals oligo-glycosylation by MftF. Chem Sci 11, 5182-5190. Details Open Access PDF

Rak Lee S, Schalk F, Schwitalla JW, Benndorf R, Vollmers J, Kaster AK, de Beer ZW, Park M, Ahn MJ, Jung WH, Beemelmanns C, Kim KH (2020) Polyhalogenation of isoflavonoids by the termite-associated Actinomadura sp. RB99. J Nat Prod [Epub ahead of print] Details PubMed

Roman D, Raguž L, Keiff F, Meyer F, Barthels F, Schirmeister T, Kloss F, Beemelmanns C (2020) Modular solid-phase synthesis of antiprotozoal barnesin derivatives. Org Lett 22(10), 3744-3748. Details PubMed

Schalk F, Um S, Guo H, Kreuzenbeck NB, Görls H, de Beer ZW, Beemelmanns C (2020) Targeted discovery of tetrapeptides and cyclic polyketide‐peptide hybrids from a fungal antagonist of farming termites. ChemBioChem [Epub ahead of print] Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Schwitalla JW, Benndorf R, Martin K, Vollmers J, Kaster AK, de Beer ZW, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2020) Steptomyces smaragdinus sp. nov. isolated from the gut of fungus growing-termite Macrotermes natalensis. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol [Accepted] Details PubMed Open Access

Beemelmanns C, Nitsch D, Bentz C, Reissig HU (2019) Stereoselective cascade cyclizations with samarium diiodide to tetracyclic indolines - precursors of fluorostrychnines and brucine. Chemistry 25(37), 8780-8789. Details PubMed

Braga D, Last D, Hasan M, Guo H, Leichnitz D, Uzum Z, Richter I, Schalk F, Beemelmanns C, Hertweck C, Lackner G (2019) Metabolic pathway rerouting in Paraburkholderia rhizoxinica evolved long-overlooked derivatives of coenzyme F420. ACS Chem Biol 14(9), 2088-2094. Details PubMed PDF

Burkhardt I, Kreuzenbeck N, Beemelmanns C, Dickschat J (2019) Mechanistic characterization of three sesquiterpene synthases from the termite-associated fungus Termitomyces. Org Biol Chem 17(13), 3348-3355. Details PubMed

Conlon BH, Aanen DK, Beemelmanns C, de Beer ZW, De Fine Lichte HH, Gunde-Cimerman N, Schiøtt M, Poulsen M (2019) Reviewing the taxonomy of podaxis: Opportunities for understanding extreme fungal lifestyles. Fungal Biol 123(3), 183-187. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Guo H, Roman D, Beemelmanns C (2019) Tropolone natural products. Nat Prod Rep 36(8), 1137-1155. Details PubMed

Klassen JL, Lee SR, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C*, Kim KH* (2019) Efomycins K and L from a termite-associated Streptomyces sp. M56 and their putative biosynthetic origin. Front Microbiol 10, 1739. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Lee SR, Küfner M, Park M, Jung WH, Choi SU, Beemelmanns C, Kim KH (2019) Beauvetetraones A-C, phomaligadione-derived polyketide dimers from the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. Org Chem Front 6, 162-166. Details

Lee SR, Lee D, Eom HJ, Rischer M, Ko YJ, Kang KS, Kim CS, Beemelmanns C, Kim KH (2019) Hybrid polyketides from a Hydractinia-associated Cladosporium sphaerospermum SW67 and their putative biosynthetic origin. Mar Drugs 17(11), 606. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Leichnitz D, Pflanze S, Beemelmanns C (2019) Stereoselective synthesis of unnatural (2S,3S)-6-hydroxy-4-sphingenine-containing sphingolipids. Org Biomol Chem 17(29), 6964-6969. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Otani S, Challinor V, Kreuzenbeck N, Kildgaard S, Christensen S, Larsen L, Aanen D, Rasmussen SA, Beemelmanns C, Poulsen M (2019) Disease-free monoculture farming by fungus-growing termites. Sci Rep 9(1), 8819. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Peña-Ortiz L, Graça A P, Guo H, Braga D, Köllner T G, Regestein L, Beemelmanns C, Lackner G (2019) Biosynthesis of the redox cofactor mycofactocin comprises oligoglycosylation by MftF in Mycolicibacterium smegmatis. bioRxiv , Details Open Access PDF

Raguz L, Beemelmanns C (2019) Ursprung und Funktionen der Sphingolipide. Nachrichten aus der Chemie 67(2), 66-70. (Review) Details

Rischer M, Lee SR, Eom HJ, Park HB, Vollmers J, Kaster AK, Shin JH, Oh DC, Kim KH, Beemelmanns C (2019) Spirocyclic cladosporicin A and cladosporiumins I and J from a Hydractinia-associated Cladosporium sphaerospermum SW67. Org Chem Front 6, 1084-1093. Details

Yoon SY, Lee SR, Hwang JY, Benndorf R, Beemelmanns C, Chung SJ, Kim KH (2019) Fridamycin A, a microbial natural product, stimulates glucose uptake without inducing adipogenesis. Nutrients 11(4), 765. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Benndorf R, Guo H, Sommerwerk E, Weigel C, Garcia-Altares M, Martin K, Hu H, Kuefner M, de Beer ZW, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2018) Natural products from Actinobacteria associated with fungus-growing termites. Antibiotics 7(3), 83. Details PubMed Open Access

Guo H, Benndorf R, König S, Leichnitz D, Weigel C, Peschel G, Berthel P, Kaiser M, Steinbeck C, Werz O, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2018) Expanding the rubterolone family: Intrinsic reactivity and directed diversification of PKS‐derived pyrans. Chem Eur J 24(44), 11319-11324. Details PubMed

Guo H, Schmidt A, Stephan P, Raguž L, Braga D, Kaiser M, Dahse HM, Weigel C, Lackner G, Beemelmanns C (2018) Precursor-directed diversification of cyclic tetrapeptidic pseudoxylallemycins. ChemBioChem 19(21), 2307-2311. Details PubMed

Lee RS, Lee D, Yu JS, Benndorf R, Lee S, Lee DS, Huh J, de Beer ZW, Kim YH, Beemelmanns C, Kang KS, Kim KH (2018) Natalenamides A-C, cyclic tripeptides from the termite-associated Actinomadura sp. RB99. Molecules 23(11), 3003. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Lee SR, Song JH, Song JH, Ko HJ, Baek JY, Trinh TA, Beemelmanns C, Yamabe N, Kim KH (2018) Chemical identification of isoflavonoids from a termite-associated Streptomyces sp. RB1 and their neuroprotective effects in murine hippocampal HT22 cell line. Int J Mol Sci 19(9), 2640. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Park YJ, Lee SR, Kim DM, Yu JS, Beemelmanns C, Chung KH, Kim KH (2018) The inhibitory effects of cyclodepsipeptides from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana on myofibroblast differentiation in A549 alveolar epithelial cells. Molecules 23(10), 2568. Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Rischer M, Raguz L, Guo H, Keiff F, Diekert G, Goris T, Beemelmanns C (2018) Biosynthesis, synthesis and activities of barnesin A, a NRPS-PKS hybrid produced by an anaerobic Epsilonproteobacterium. ACS Chem Biol 13(8), 1990-1995. Details PubMed

Wichard T, Beemelmanns C (2018) Role of chemical mediators in aquatic interactionas across the prokaryote eukaryote boundary. J Chem Ecol 44(11), 1008-1021. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access PDF

Beemelmanns C, Ramadhar TR, Kim KH, Klassen JL, Cao S, Wyche TP, Hou Y, Poulsen M, Bugni TS, Currie CR, Clardy J (2017) Macrotermycins A-D, Glycosylated Macrolactams from a Termite-Associated Amycolatopsis sp. M39. Org Lett 19(5), 1000-1003. Details PubMed

Benndorf R, Leichnitz D, Rischer M, Beemelmanns C (2017) Wie sich Bakterien schützen. Nachrichten aus der Chemie 65(1), 21-25. (Review) Details Open Access

Guo H, Benndorf R, Leichnitz D, Klassen JL, Vollmers J, Görls H, Steinacker M, Weigel C, Dahse HM, Kaster AK, de Beer ZW, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2017) Isolation, biosynthesis and chemical modifications of rubterolones A–F, rare tropolone alkaloids from Actinomadura sp. 5-2. Chem Eur J 23(39), 9338-9345. Details PubMed

Guo H, Rischer M, Sperfeld M, Weigel C, Menzel KD, Clardy J, Beemelmanns C (2017) Natural products and morphogenic activity of γ-Proteobacteria associated with the marine hydroid polyp Hydractinia echinata. Bioorg Med Chem 25(22), 6088-6097. Details PubMed

Leichnitz D, Raguž L, Beemelmanns C (2017) Total synthesis and functional analysis of microbial signalling molecules. Chem Soc Rev 46(20), 6330-6344. (Review) Details PubMed

Rischer M, Leichnitz D, Beemelmanns C (2017) Bakterien-induzierte Morphogenese mariner Eukaryoten Wissenschaft. BIOSpektrum 2017(6), 634-637. (Review) Details Open Access

Wyche TP, Ruzzini AC, Beemelmanns C, Kim KH, Klassen JL, Cao S, Poulsen M, Bugni TS, Currie CR, Clardy J (2017) Linear Peptides Are the Major Products of a Biosynthetic Pathway That Encodes for Cyclic Depsipeptides. Org Lett 19(7), 1772-1775. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Guo H, Rischer M, Poulsen M (2016) Natural products from microbes associated with insects. Beilstein J Org Chem 12, 314-327. Details PubMed Open Access

Cantley AM, Woznica A, Beemelmanns C, King N, Clardy J (2016) Isolation and Synthesis of a Bacterially Produced Inhibitor of Rosette Development in Choanoflagellates. J Am Chem Soc 138(13), 4326-4329. Details PubMed

Guo H, Kreuzenbeck NB, Otani S, Garcia-Altares M, Dahse HM, Weigel C, Aanen DK, Hertweck C, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C (2016) Pseudoxylallemycins A-F, cyclic tetrapeptides with rare allenyl modifications isolated from Pseudoxylaria sp. X802: A competitor of fungus-growing termite cultivars. Org Lett 18, 3338-3341. Details PubMed

Kang HR, Lee D, Benndorf R, Jung WH, Beemelmanns C, Kang KS, Kim KH (2016) Termisoflavones A-C, Isoflavonoid Glycosides from Termite-Associated Streptomyces sp. RB1. J Nat Prod 79(12), 3072-3078. Details PubMed

Lee SR, Beemelmanns C, Tsumac LMM, Clardy J, Cao S, Kim KH (2016) A New Diketopiperazine, Cyclo(D-trans-Hyp-L-Leu) from a Kenyan Bacterium Bacillus licheniformis LB 8CT Nat Prod Commun 4(11), 461-463. Details

Rischer M, Klassen J, Wolf T, Guo H, Shelest E, Clardy J, Beemelmanns C (2016) Draft Genome Sequence of Shewanella sp. P1-14-1, a Bacterial Inducer of Settlement and Morphogenesis in Larvae of the Marine Hydroid Hydractinia Echinata Genome Announc 4(1), e00003-16. Details PubMed

Woznica A, Cantley AM, Beemelmanns C, Freinkman E, Clardy J, King N (2016) Bacterial lipids activate, synergize, and inhibit a developmental switch in choanoflagellates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113(28), 7894-7899. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Reissig H.-U. (2015) Evolution of a Short Route to Strychnine by Using the Samarium Diiodide-Induced Cascade Cyclization as a Key Step Chemistry - A European Journal 21(23), 8416-8425. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Reissig H.-U. (2015) Strychnine as Target - Samarium Diiodide as Tool - A Personal Story The Chemical Record 15(5), 872-885. Details PubMed

Kim KH, Beemelmanns C, Clardy J, Cao S (2015) A new antibacterial octaketide and cytotoxic phenylethanoid glycosides from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 14(25), 2834-2836. Details PubMed

Klassen JL, Rischer M, Wolf T, Guo H, Shelest E, Clardy J, Beemelmanns C (2015) Genome Sequences of Three Pseudoalteromonas Strains P1-8, P1-11 and P1-30 Isolated from the Marine Hydroid Hydractinia echinata Genome Announc. 3(6), e01380-15. Details PubMed

Klassen JL, Wolf T, Rischer M, Guo H, Shelest E, Clardy J, Beemelmanns C (2015) Draft Genome Sequences of Six Pseudoalteromonas sp. Strains P1-7a, P1-9, P1-13-1a, P1-16-1b, P1-25 and P1-26, which Induce Larval Settlement and Metamorphosis in Hydractinia echinata Genome Announc. 3(6), e01477-15. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Woznica A, Alegado RA, Cantley AM, King N, Clardy J (2014) Synthesis of the rosette-inducing factor RIF-1 and analogs. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136(29), 10210-10213. Details PubMed

Kim KH, Beemelmanns C, Murillo C, Guillén A, Umaña L, Tamayo-Castillo G., Kim SN, Clardy J, Cao, S (2014) Naphthalenones and isocoumarins from a Costa Rican fungus Xylariaceae sp. CR1546C Journal of Chemical Research 38(12), 722-725. Details

Kim KH, Ramadhar TR, Beemelmanns C, Cao S, Poulsen M, Currie CR, Clardy J (2014) Natalamycin A, an ansamycin from a termite-associated Streptomyces sp Chem. Sci. 5(11), 4333-4338. Details PubMed

Ramadhar TR, Beemelmanns C, Currie CR, Clardy J (2014) Bacterial symbionts in agricultural systems provide a strategic source for antibiotic discovery. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 67(1), 53-58. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Gross S, Reissig HU (2013) Towards the core structure of Strychnos alkaloids using samarium diiodide-induced reactions of indole derivatives. Chemistry 19(52), 17801-17808. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Husmann R, Whelligan DK, Özcubukçu S, Bolm C (2012) Planar Chiral Disilanols and Diols as H-Bonding Asymmetric Organocatalysts Eur. J. Org. Chem. , 3373-3376. Details

Beemelmanns C, Lentz D, Reissig HU (2011) Samarium diiodide induced cyclizations of γ-, δ- and ε-indolyl ketones: reductive coupling, intermolecular trapping, and subsequent transformations of indolines. Chemistry 17(35), 9720-9730. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Reissig HU (2011) Samarium diiodide induced ketyl-(het)arene cyclisations towards novel N-heterocycles. Chem Soc Rev 40(5), 2199-2210. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Reissig HU (2011) New Samarium Diiodide Induced Cyclizations Pure Appl. Chem. 83, 507-518. Details

Beemelmanns C, Blot V, Gross S, Lentz D, Reissig HU (2010) Highly Diastereoselective Samarium Diiodide Induced Ketyl Cyclizations of Indole and Pyrrole Derivatives – Scope and Limitations. Eur J Org Chem 2010(14), 2716-2732. Details

Beemelmanns C, Reissig HU (2010) A short formal total synthesis of strychnine with a samarium diiodide induced cascade reaction as the key step. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 49(43), 8021-8025. Details PubMed

Beemelmanns C, Reissig HU (2009) Highly diastereoselective samarium diiodide induced cyclizations of new 3-substituted indole derivatives. Org Biomol Chem 7(21), 4475-4480. Details PubMed

Beyler M, Beemelmanns C, Heitz V, Sauvage JP (2009) Various Synthetic Routes to a Gable-Like Bis(porphyrin) Constructed on a 1,10-Phenanthroline Chelate Eur. J. Org. Chem. , 2801-2805. Details

Monguchi D, Beemelmanns C, Hashizume D, Hamashima Y, Sodeoka M (2008) Catalytic asymmetric conjugate reduction with ethanol: A more reactive system Pd(II)–iPr-DUPHOS complex with molecular sieves 4A Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 693(5), 867-873. Details

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