Shuaibing Zhang receives dissertation prize from Friedrich Schiller University Jena
The prize honors the best doctoral theses of the faculties
| by Friederike Gawlik
Dr. Shuaibing Zhang from the Department of Paleobiotechnology at Leibniz-HKI has been awarded this year’s dissertation prize of the Faculty of Biosciences at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The award ceremony took place as part of the “Schiller Day” on Friday, June 28, 2024 in the university auditorium. The University of Jena’s highest day of celebration commemorates Friedrich Schiller’s inaugural lecture in 1789. The university honors and celebrates its best doctoral graduates with these awards every year.
Zhang initially studied pharmacy in China, where he gained his first practical experience in research. In 2018, he began a doctoral thesis in the junior research group led by Pierre Stallforth at the Leibniz-HKI, where he focused on microbial predator-prey relationships.
Eat or be eaten – this drama is not only played out between buzzards and mice or cows and dandelions, it is also a constant matter of life and death in the realm of microorganisms: in his dissertation entitled 'Ecological Role of Natural Products in Microbial Predator-Prey Interactions’, Zhang focused on the function of bacterial natural products in microbial interactions. He investigated the strategies of soil bacteria that live in constant danger of being eaten by social amoebae. Zhang discovered that some bacterial species form a united front against amoebae and can actively defend themselves against them. To do this, they form toxins together that keep the amoebae away. Zhang was able to show that normally inactive genes for the formation of natural products can be activated by altering their regulatory systems. In this way, he succeeded in isolating a new natural compound. Biologically active natural compounds can serve as a model for the development of new drugs.
Shuaibing Zhang has worked on his research topic with great motivation and inventiveness, using sophisticated methods. His work contributes to a better understanding of the coexistence of microorganisms, which is largely hidden from humans. For example, bacteria cooperate to protect themselves from their enemies – a strategy that is also used by us humans. The best doctoral thesis of the Faculty of Biosciences this year thus makes an important contribution to the Jena Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, which deals with the principles of microbial coexistence.
The dissertation prize, endowed with 750 euros, is donated annually for each of the ten faculties by the Society of Friends and Patrons of the University of Jena in order to promote young academics and recognize their achievements.
We warmly congratulate Dr. Zhang on this recognition and are proud of his impressive achievements in microbial natural product research. We wish him continued success in his future research work.
Further information on Schiller Day and the awards can be found here.
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