Staff Profile

Positions

• Professor of Molecular Microbiology (since 2024)
• Molecular and Cellular Microbiology theme lead (since 2023)
• Senior Lecturer (2019-2024)
• Independent Research Fellow and Group Leader, Newcastle University (2014-2019)
• Research Associate, Newcastle University, Group of Prof Leendert Hamoen (2007-2014)
• PhD student, University of Osnabrück, Group of Prof Karlheinz Altendorf (2003-2007)

 Education

• Dr. rer. nat. Microbiology, University of Osnabrück, Germany (2003-2007)
• Dipl. Biology, University of Osnabrück, Germany (1997-2003)

Memberships

Society for General Microbiology

British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Honors and Awards

BBSRC New Investigator Award (2018)

Editorial Board, Microbiology (since 2018)

Newcastle University Research Fellowship (2015)

Faculty of Medical Sciences Research Fellowship (2014)

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowship (2004)

Research

The research in my group focuses on bacterial cell envelopes. Using a combination of cell biology, high-end fluorescence microscopy, genetics, and biochemistry, we study the function, biosynthesis and internal organisation of bacterial cell wall and cell membranes using a repertoire of model organism including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. This research also extends to studying protein lipid -interactions and how membrane association is used to establish higher-level internal organisation within bacterial cells. The fundamental research in my group is accompanied by more applied research lines aiming to understand the complex mode of action of cell envelope -targeting antimicrobials and toxins, why certain cellular targets are less vulnerable to rapid development of antibiotic resistance, and to discover new ones.

Current co-workers

Dr. Jess Buttress (post doc, BBSRC -funded)

Dr. Matthieu Blandenet (post doc, BBSRC -funded)

Dr. Rachel Darnell (post doc, BBSRC -funded)

Laura Dobby (PhD student, BBSRC -funded)

Taylor Wellfare Reid (PhD student, MRC -funded)

Neha Ramchandani Ramchandani (PhD student, BBSRC-funded)

Fran Davison (technician)

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Alumni

Post docs:

Dr. Alan Koh

PhD students:

Dr. Maria Dakes Stavrakaki

Dr. Maddie Humphrey

Dr. Sandra Laborda Anadon

Dr. Jess Buttress

Dr. James Grimshaw

Dr. Kenneth Holst Seistrup

Dr. Declan Gray

Dr. Laura Bohorquez Suarez (co-promoter, Amsterdam University)

Masters students:

Christopher Martin

Alisa Mondry (Erasmus student)

Zi Qi Ng

Chris Duringer

Yong Jie Chen

Jessica Clark

Ethan Drury

Katie Pearson

Lauren Elliott

Natalie Vardy

James Donahue

Jan Derk te Winkel (Erasmus student)

Stijn Peeters (Erasmus student)

Tim Knetsch (Erasmus student)

Undergraduate students:

Jake Smith

Neha Ramchandani Ramchandani

Luc Eppie

Sameer Patil

Garoufallia Stavridou

Talia Peters

Nifemi Opasanya

Nadhir Bhunnoo

Saleena Limbu

Zunera Baig

Alex-Rose Pogmore

James Donahue

Bethany Coley

Undergraduate Teaching

• Teaching in BSc module BGM2061 (Protein Trafficking and Biological Membranes)

• Supervision of undergraduate research projects

 Postgraduate Teaching

• Teaching in MRes module MMB8016 (Molecular Microbiology, deputy module leader)

• Supervision of Masters and PhD research projects

• Articles

  • Middlemiss S, Blandenet H, Roberts DM, McMahon A, Grimshaw J, Edwards JM, Sun Z, Whitley KD, Blu T, Strahl H, Holden S. Molecular motor tug-of-war regulates elongasome cell wall synthesis dynamics in Bacillus subtilis. Nature Communications 2024, (15), 5411.
  • Gray DA, Wang B, Sidarta M, Cornejo FA, Wijnheijmer J, Rani E, Gamba P, Turgay K, Wenzel M, Strahl H, Hamoen LW. Membrane depolarization kills dormant Bacillus subtilis cells by generating a lethal dose of ROS. Nature Communications 2024, 15, 6877.
  • Mets T, Kurata T, Ernits K, Johansson MJO, Craig SZ, Evora GM, Buttress JA, Odai R, Coppieters't Wallant K, Nakamoto JA, Shyrokova L, Egorov AA, Doering CR, Brodiazhenko T, Laub MT, Tenson T, Strahl H, Martens C, Harms A, Garcia-Pino A, Atkinson GC, Hauryliuk V. Mechanism of phage sensing and restriction by toxin-antitoxin-chaperone systems. Cell Host and Microbe 2024, 32(7), 1059-1073.e8.
  • Bonini D, Duggan S, Alnahari A, Brignoli T, Strahl H, Massey RC. Lipoteichoic acid biosynthesis by Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by the MspA protein. mBio 2024, 15(8), e01512-24.
  • Bohorquez LC, Strahl H, Marenduzzo D, Thiele MJ, Bürmann F, Hamoen LW. Cyclical MinD membrane affinity differences are not necessary for MinD gradient formation in Bacillus subtilis. eLife 2024, RP101520. Submitted.
  • Ernits,K,Saha,CK,Brodiazhenko,T,Chouhan,B,Shenoy,A,Buttress,JA,Duque-Pedraza,JJ,Bojar,V,Nakamoto,JA,Kurata,T,Egorov,AA,Shyrokova,L,Johansson,MJO,Mets,T,Rustamova,A, Dzigurski,J,Tenson,T,Garcia-Pino,A,Strahl,H,Elofsson,A,Hauryliuk,V,Atkinson,GC. The structural basis of hyperpromiscuity in a core combinatorial network of type II toxin–antitoxin and related phage defense systems. PNAS 2023, 120(33), 2305393120.
  • Macdonald E, Wright R, Connolly JPR, Strahl H, Brockhurst M, van Houte S, Blower TR, Palmer T, Mariano G. The novel anti-phage system Shield co-opts an RmuC domain to mediate phage defense across Pseudomonas species. PLoS Genetics 2023, 19(6), e1010784.
  • Koh A, Strahl H, Murray H. Regulation of DNA replication initiation by ParA is independent of parS location in Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology 2022, 168(10), 001259.
  • Gohrbandt M, Lipski A, Grimshaw JW, Buttress JA, Baig Z, Herkenhoff B, Walter S, Kurre R, Deckers-Hebestreit G, Strahl H. Low membrane fluidity triggers lipid phase separation and protein segregation in living bacteria. EMBO Journal 2022, 41, e109800.
  • Malanovic N, Buttress JA, Vejzovic D, Ön A, Piller P, Kolb D, Lohner K, Strahl H. Disruption of the cytoplasmic membrane structure and barrier function underlies the potent antiseptic activity of octenidine in Gram-positive bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2022, 88(10), e00180-22.
  • Kurata T, Saha CK, Buttress JA, Mets T, Brodiazhenko T, Turnbull KJ, Awoyomi OF, Alves Oliveira SR, Jimmy S, Ernits K, Delannoy M, Persson K, Tenson T, Strahl H, Hauryliuk V, Atkinson GC. A hyperpromiscuous antitoxin protein domain for the neutralization of diverse toxin domains. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2022, 119(6), e2102212119.
  • Buttress JA, Halte M, te Winkel JD, Erhardt M, Popp PF, Strahl H. A guide for membrane potential measurements in Gram-negative bacteria using voltage-sensitive dyes. Microbiology 2022, 168(9), 001227.
  • Popp PF, Benjdia A, Strahl H, Berteau O, Mascher T. The Epipeptide YydF Intrinsically Triggers the Cell Envelope Stress Response of Bacillus subtilis and Causes Severe Membrane Perturbations. Frontiers in Microbiology 2020, 11, 151.
  • Ndeh D, Baslé A, Strahl H, Yates EA, McClurgg UL, Henrissat B, Terrapon N, Cartmell A. Metabolism of multiple glycosaminoglycans by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is orchestrated by a versatile core genetic locus. Nature Communications 2020, 11, 646.
  • Jimmy S, Saha CK, Kurata T, Stavropoulos C, Alves Oliveira SR, Koh A, Cepauskas A, Takada H, Rejman D, Tenson T, Strahl H, Garcia-Pino A, Hauryliuk V, Atkinson GC. A widespread toxin-antitoxin system exploiting growth control via alarmone signaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2020, 117(19), 10500-10510.
  • Ulhuq FR, Gomes MC, Duggan G, Guo M, Mendonca C, Buchanan G, Chalmers JD, Cao Z, Kneuper H, Murdoch S, Thomson S, Strahl H, Trost M, Mostowy S, Palmer T. A membrane-depolarizing toxin substrate of the Staphylococcus aureus Type VII secretion system mediates intra-species competition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2020, 117(34), 20836-20847.
  • Gray D, Dugar G, Gamba P, Strahl H, Jonker MJ, Hamoen LW. Extreme slow growth as alternative strategy to survive deep starvation in bacteria. Nature Communications 2019, 10, 890.
  • Murina V, Kasari M, Takada H, Hinnu M, Saha CK, Grimshaw JW, Seki T, Reith M, Putrins M, Tenson T, Strahl H, Hauryliuk V, Atkinson GC. ABCF ATPases involved in protein synthesis, ribosome assembly and antibiotic resistance: Structural and functional diversification across the tree of life. Journal of Molecular Biology 2019, 431(18), 3568-3590.
  • Mariano G, Trunk K, Williams D, Monlezun L, Strahl H, Pitt S, Coulthurst S. A family of Type VI secretion system effector proteins that form ion-selective pores. Nature Communications 2019, 10, 5484.
  • Trunk K, Peltier J, Liu Y-C, Dill BD, Walker L, Gow NAR, Stark MJR, Quinn J, Strahl H, Trost M, Coulthurst SJ. The type VI secretion system deploys antifungal effectors against microbial competitors. Nature Microbiology 2018, 3, 920-931.
  • Pogmore AR, Seistrup KH, Strahl H. The Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis does not form microscopically detectable cardiolipin-specific lipid domains. Microbiology 2018, 164, 475-482.
  • Floros VI, Pyle A, Dietmann S, Wei W, Tang WWC, Irie N, Payne B, Capalbo A, Noli L, Coxhead J, Hudson G, Crosier M, Strahl H, Khalaf Y, Saitou M, Ilic D, Surani MA, Chinnery PF. Segregation of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy through a developmental genetic bottleneck in human embryos. Nature Cell Biology 2018, 20, 144-151.
  • Kepplinger B, Morton S, Seistrup K, Marrs E, Hopkins A, Perry J, Strahl H, Hall M, Errington J, Allenby N. Mode of Action and Heterologous Expression of the Natural Product Antibiotic Vancoresmycin. ACS Chemical Biology 2018, 13(1), 207-214.
  • Saaki TNV, Strahl H, Hamoen LW. Membrane curvature and the Tol-Pal complex determine polar localization of the chemoreceptor Tar in E. coli. Journal of Bacteriology 2018, 200(9), e00658-17.
  • Wenzel M, Vischer NOE, Strahl H, Hamoen LW. Assessing membrane fluidity and visualizing fluid membrane domains in bacteria using fluorescent membrane dyes. Bio-protocol 2018, 8(20), e3063.
  • Sim M, Koirala S, Picton D, Strahl H, Hoskissin PA, Rao CV, Gillespie CS, Aldridge PD. Growth rate control of flagellar assembly in Escherichai coli strain RP437. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 41189.
  • Scheinpflug K, Wenzel M, Krylova O, Bandow JE, Dathe M, Strahl H. Antimicrobial peptide cWFW kills by combining lipid phase separation with autolysis. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 44332.
  • Müller A, Wenzel M, Strahl H, Grein F, Saaki TNV, Kohl B, Siersma T, Bandow JE, Sahl H-G, Schneider T, Hamoen LW. Daptomycin inhibits cell envelope synthesis by interfering with fluid membrane microdomains. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2016, 113(45), E7077-E7086.
  • te Winkel JD, Gray DA, Seistrup KH, Hamoen LW, Strahl H. Analysis of antimicrobial-triggered membrane depolarisation using voltage sensitive dyes. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 2016, (4), 29.
  • Strahl H, Ronneau S, SolanaGonzález B, Klutsch D, Schaffner-Barbero C, Hamoen LW. Transmembrane protein sorting driven by membrane curvature. Nature Communications 2015, 6, 8728.
  • Strahl H, Turlan C, Khalid S, Bond PJ, Kebalo J-M, Peyron P, Poljak L, Bouvier M, Hamoen L, Luisi BF, Carpousis AJ. Membrane Recognition and Dynamics of the RNA Degradosome. Plos Genetics 2015, 11(2), e1004961.
  • Jahn N, Brantl S, Strahl H. Against the mainstream: the membrane-associated type I toxin BsrG from Bacillus subtilis interferes with cell envelope biosynthesis without increasing membrane permeability. Molecular Microbiology 2015, 98(4), 651-666.
  • Strahl H, Bürmann F, Hamoen LW. The actin homologue MreB organizes the bacterial cell membrane. Nature Communications 2014, 5, 3442.
  • Brockmann B, Koop KD, Strahl H, Deckers-Hebestreit G. Time-delayed in vivo assembly of subunit a into preformed Escherichia coli F_oF₁ ATP synthase. Journal of Bacteriology 2013, 195(18), 4074-4084.
  • Duman R, Ishikawa S, Celik I, Strahl H, Ogasawara N, Troc P, Löwe J, Hamoen LW. Structural and genetic analyses reveal the protein SepF as a new membrane anchor for the Z ring. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 2013, 110(48), E4601–E4610.
  • Kixmüller D, Strahl H, Wende A, Greie JC. Archaeal transcriptional regulation of the prokaryotic KdpFABC complex mediating K⁺ uptake in H. salinarum. Extremophiles 2011, 15(6), 643-652.
  • Strahl H, Hamoen LW. Membrane potential is important for bacterial cell division. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2010, 107(27), 12281-12286.
  • Strahl H, Greie J-C. The extremely halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum R1 responds to potassium limitation by expression of the K+-transporting KdpFABC P-type ATPase and by a decrease in intracellular K+. Extremophiles 2008, 12(6), 741-752.
  • Kirstein J, Strahl H, Moliere N, Hamoen LW, Turgay K. Localization of general and regulatory proteolysis in Bacillus subtilis cells. Molecular Microbiology 2008, 70(3), 682-694.

• Book Chapters

  • Humphrey M, Abdelmesseh Nekhala I, Scheinpflug K, Krylova O, Schäfer A-B, Buttress JA, Wenzel M, Strahl H. Tracking Global and Local Changes in Membrane Fluidity Through Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy. In: Peter Sass, ed. Antibiotics. New York: Humana, New York, NY, 2022, pp.203-229.
  • Scheinpflug K, Krylova O, Strahl H. Measurement of Cell Membrane Fluidity by Laurdan GP: Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy. In: Sass P, ed. Antibiotics: Methods and Protocols. Springer New York, 2017, pp.159-174.

• Reviews

  • Harrison MA, Strahl H, Dawson LF. Regulation of para-cresol production in Clostridioides difficile. Current Opinion in Microbiology 2022, 65, 131-137.
  • Strahl H, Errington J. Bacterial Membranes: Structure, Domains, and Function. Annual Review of Microbiology 2017, 71, 519-538.
  • Strahl H, Hamoen LW. Finding the corners in a cell. Current Opinion in Microbiology 2012, 15(6), 731-736.