(2007)
Genomics-driven discovery of PKS-NRPS hybrid metabolites from Aspergillus nidulans.
Nat Chem Biol 3(4),
213-217.

Prof. Dr. Axel A. Brakhage
Director Molecular and Applied Microbiology · Head of Department Transfer Group Antiinfectives · Acting head +49 3641 532-1001 axel.brakhage@leibniz-hki.deCurriculum vitae
Main Research Areas
- Infection biology of human pathogenic fungi
- Molecular biotechnology / synthetic biotechnology of microbial compounds
- Microbial communication
- Eukaryotic gene regulation / transcription factors
Professional Career
since 2005 | Scientific Director, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) Jena |
since 2005 | Head of Department Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz-HKI Jena |
since 2004 | Professor (C4/W3) and chair in microbiology and molecular biology, Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena |
2001-2004 | Professor (C4) and chair in microbiology, Leibniz University Hanover |
1998-2001 | Professor (C3) in microbiology, Technical University Darmstadt |
1996 | Habilitation in microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich |
1992-1998 | Research assistant (C1), Institute for Genetics and Microbiology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich |
1990-1992 | Research assistant, The University of Sheffield, UK, funded through postdoc grants of the DFG |
1989-1990 | Group head, Biotechnology, BASF AG, Ludwigshafen |
1989 | Dr. rer. nat. in microbiology, „summa cum laude“ University Münster and Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC) Paris |
1985 | Studies in biology/chemistry, diploma in biology at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster |
Awards · Appointments · Scientific Activities
2024 | Ferdinand Cohn-Medal of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) |
2023 | Member of the FWF Cluster of Excellence Jury, Vienna, AUT |
since 2020 | Vice President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) |
since 2020 | Head of section 13 "Microbiology and Immunology" and Senator in the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina |
since 2020 | Founding member and Board of Directors, Leibniz Center for Photonics in Infection Research gGmbH (LPI), Jena |
since 2020 | Founding member and Board of Directors "Incate" Incubator for Antibacterial Therapies in Europe, Basel, CH |
since 2019 | Member of the scientific panel of the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg |
since 2019 | Member of the foundation board of the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), Regensburg |
2019-2022 | Spokesperson of the Excellence Cluster "Balance of the Microverse" (DFG) |
since 2018 | Member of the scientific panel of the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), Münster |
since 2017 | Member of the Steering Committee DZIF/TTU Novel Antibiotics |
since 2017 | Elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology |
since 2017 | Member of the scientific panel of the Robert Koch Foundation (RKS), Berlin |
since 2017 | Member of the scientific panel of the MRC Medical Mycology Centre, Exeter, UK |
since 2016 | Member of the Clusterboard RIS3 Thüringen |
since 2016 | Member of the scientific panel of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (MPIIB), Berlin |
2016-2020 | Spokesperson of the Leibniz Research Cluster “Biotechnologie 2020+“ |
since 2015 | Elected member of the European Academy of Microbiology |
since 2015 | Honorary member of the Deutschsprachige Mykologische Gesellschaft e.V. (DMykG) |
2014 | Main Research Award of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) |
since 2013 | Spokesperson of the SFB/Transregio 124 FungiNet (DFG) |
2013-2020 | Deputy representative of the Leibniz-Research-Alliance Compounds and Biotechnology |
since 2013 | Board member of the research campus “InfectoGnostics” (BMBF) |
since 2012 | Spokesperson of the consortium “InfectControl 2020 – New Anti-infection Strategies – Science • Society • Economy” in the BMBF-programme “Zwanzig 20 – Partnership for Innovation” |
2012-2016 | Representative of the DFG-Professional Council 204 Microbiology, Immunology, Virology |
2010-2012 | Board member of the Integriertes Forschungs- und Behandlungszentrum “Center for Sepsis Control and Care” (CSCC) at the University Hospital Jena |
2010-2018 | Authorised commissioner of the Leibniz Association for Biotechnology |
2010-2018 | Member of the scientific panel of the Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig |
2010-2018 | Member of the scientific panel of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Research (HIPS), Saarbrücken |
2010-2020 | Member of the scientific panel of the Research Centre Borstel, Borstel |
2010-2017 | Member of the scientific panel of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Halle |
2009-2017 | Supervisory Board Leibniz-Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig |
2009-2016 | Member of the scientific panel of the Research Center for Infectious Diseases (ZINF), Würzburg |
2009-2011 | President of the Vereinigung für Allgemeine und Angewandte Mikrobiologie (VAAM) |
2008-2019 | Member of the university council (reappointment 2011+2015) at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena |
2008-2016 | Member of the DFG-Professional Council 204 Microbiology, Immunology, Virology |
2008 | Appointed member of the Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften, Leopoldina |
2007-2016 | Liaison Officer for scientific misconduct at the FSU Jena |
2007-2020 | Spokesperson of the excellence graduate school „Jena School for Microbial Communication” (JSMC) |
2006-2008 | Spokesperson of the graduate school "International Leibniz Research School (ILRS) for microbial and biomolecular interactions“ |
2006 | Heinz-Seeliger award for infection biology |
since 2005 | Scientific panel "Goettinger Center for Molecular Bio/Sciences" (GZMB), Georg-August-University Göttingen |
2005-2022 | Member of the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena |
2004-2010 | Representative of the DFG Priority Programme 1160 "Colonisation and Infection by Human-pathogenic Fungi" |
2003-2010 | Scientific panel „Center for Microbial Biotechnology“ DTU Copenhagen, Denmark |
2003-2009 | Member in the programme committee of the DFG Priority Programme 1152 "Evolution of Metabolic Diversity" |
2003-2004 | Dean, faculty biology, Leibniz-University Hanover |
2002-2006, 2009-2020 |
Member of the scientific panel of the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), Würzburg |
since 1998 | Editor of several magazines |
since 1995 | Principal investigator in EU projects |
Publications
(2007)
Functional characterization of the Aspergillus fumigatus calcineurin.
Fungal Genet Biol 44(3),
219-230.
(2007)
Discovery of gene regulatory networks in Aspergillus fumigatus.
Lect Notes Bioinf 4366,
(2007)
Interaction of HapX with the CCAAT-binding complex--a novel mechanism of gene regulation by iron.
EMBO J 26(13),
3157-3168.
(2007)
The Aspergillus fumigatus transcriptional regulator AfYap1 represents the major regulator for defense against reactive oxygen intermediates but is dispensable for pathogenicity in an intranasal mouse infection model.
Eukaryot Cell 6(12),
2290-2302.
(2007)
Phagocytosis of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia by murine macrophages involves recognition by the dectin-1 beta-glucan receptor and Toll-like receptor 2.
Cell Microbiol 9(2),
368-381.
(2007)
Aspergillus fumigatus does not require fatty acid metabolism via isocitrate lyase for development of invasive aspergillosis.
Infect Immun 75(3),
1237-1244.
(2007)
The light-dependent regulator velvet A of Aspergillus nidulans acts as a repressor of the penicillin biosynthesis.
Arch Microbiol 188(1),
69-79.
(2007)
The thioredoxin system of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans: impact on development and oxidative stress response.
J Biol Chem 282(37),
27259-27269.
(2007)
Apoptosis inhibition of alveolar macrophages upon interaction with conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus.
FEMS Microbiol Lett 275(2),
250-254.