Der Forschungsschwerpunkt der "Microbiology"-Gruppe lag ursprünglich in der Vielfalt und molekularen Entwicklung von filamentösen Pilzen sowie in der Entwicklung von bioinformatischen Werkzeugen zu deren Identifikation.Wir werden derzeit mit der Herausforderung durch die vergleichbare Genomik filamentöser Pilze als die Genome industriell bedeutender und Pflanzen nützlicher Schimmel konfrontiert. Trichoderma sowie eine Vielzahl verwandter Pilze wurden sequenziert.Die "Microbiology"-Gruppe gehört dem TUCIM, - TU Wien Collection ofIndustrial Microorganisms an, das von der Online Datenbank mit Gensequenzen versorgt wird.Unser neuer Forschungszweig widmet sich dem Screening von neuen Trichoderma Proteinen und der Optimierung von deren Expression. Hydrophobine von Trichoderma, die kleine cysteinreiche Proteine darstellen, verbessern Enzyme, die für synthetische und natürliche Polymere eingesetzt werden. Dieses Projekt wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) begonnen und hat sich schließlich zu einem etablierten Forschungsbereich entwickelt, der das industrielle Interesse für den enzymatischen Abbau von PET und biomedizinischen Anwendungen geweckt hat.Zudem studieren wir die Mikrobiome der einzigartigen Ameisen aus Borneo, die den Boden des tropische Regenwaldes dominieren und zu den Ökosystem bildenden Organismen gehören. Dieses Vorhaben zielt auf die Erforschung der mikrobiellen Vielfalt auf Blatteroberflächen (aus dem Regenwald) ab, die zweifellos als großartiges Depot von Produzenten bioaktiver Verbindungen dienen wird .

The group of Microbiology (initially the project group Fungal Evolution and Biodiversity) was established in 2002, when the first application of molecular biology methods highlighted the tremendous potential of microbial biodiversity. For the first decade our research was focused on the diversity and molecular evolution of filamentous fungi and on the development of the modern bioinformatic tools for their correct identification. Because of ubiquitous industrial applications we selected the superior enzyme producing and plant beneficial fungi from the genus Trichoderma as the main model organisms for our research. We are also interested in other Hypocreales fungi and in prokaryotic organisms associated with them. Currently we are the most challenged by the comparative genomics of filamentous fungi as the genomes of Trichoderma and numerous related fungi have been sequenced. Our group is deeply involved in the sequencing of the several plant-beneficial species of Trichoderma and in genomics of such biotrophic species as mycoparasites (agents of biological control and pathogens of mushrooms), endophytes and pathogens of animals. We are interested in the revealing the ecological genomics of Trichoderma and aim to understand the biology of this industrially important microorganisms through the function and evolution of its genomes. For this purpose we use the analysis of Trichoderma transcriptomes, ecophysiology and apply methods of reverse genetics. The group on Microbiology also maintains the TUCIM TU Wien Collection of Industrial microorganisms that is now listed on organogram of the ICE as an independent unit (Head I. Druzhinina). The database is powered by the interactive web-based database of gene sequences, contains biogeographic tags and a standalone local BLAST server. For January 1, 2015 the collection contained 5284 strain records for 367 microbial species with 7511 DNA-barcodes. The new branch of our research is the screening for novel Trichoderma proteins. Heterologously produced hydrophobins from Trichoderma, the small cystein-rich proteins, improve targeting enzymes to synthetic and natural polymers. This project has been initially developed in collaboration with the Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) and now is an established area of our research that attracts industrial interest. In particular Trichoderma hydrophobins expressed in Pichia pastoris cell factory find their application in facilitating of enzymatic degradation of PET and PLA (plastics) and have high potential for biomedical applications. We now work on rational design of hydrophobins with improved surface properties and advanced biotechnological applications.Since recently we have also got a chance to approach microbiomes associated with unique Bornean ants that dominate the low land tropical rain forest and are classified as ecosystem-forming organisms. In this research we target microbial diversity in phylloplane (leaf surface) in the canopy of the tropical forest that will undoubtedly serve as a great depository of producers of bioactive compounds. The expertise in microbial ecology, molecular diagnostics of microbial communities, microbial identification, comparative genomics of Trichoderma and other filamentous fungi and microbial ecophysiology allows us to set up [and/or participate in] lecture courses on biology (Master Technical chemistry, responsible organizer); microbiology (Master Technical chemistry, responsible organizer); protein structure (Master Technical chemistry, responsible organizer), genomics of industrial microorganisms (Master Technical chemistry, responsible organizer), gene technology (Master Technical chemistry, participation) and bioinformatics (Master Technical chemistry, participation). For the Master Technical chemistry program we organize the laboratory course on microbiology and applied bioinformatics and develop and supervise an exercise on physiology for the Bachelor Technical chemistry laboratory Biochemistry and Biotechnology.