Prof. Dr. Burkhard Tümmler participates in RESIST research project C3.

My Research Interest in RESIST

Our research focus in RESIST is the analysis of the lower airway microbial metagenome of individuals with chronic lung disease. Understanding the abundance and diversity of non-pathogenic and (opportunistic) pathogenic species in the healthy population and the succession of characteristic subpopulations over time in patients provides key information to pursue the goal of ‘curing a patient’ by reverting a harmful to a healthy microbiome.

We hypothesize that protective factors produced by representatives of the commensal microflora can antagonize the spread of pervasive pathogens. In- depth genome analysis of the identified ‘key players’ in the airway microflora will therefore be used to identify potentially protective factors/substances. If successful, this may pave the way for new forms of therapy that could use naturally produced but so far unknown or underexplored secondary metabolites as starting points for drug candidates. 

Prof. Tümmler about his scientific work

Prof. Dr. Burkhard Tümmler – Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

  • Since 1993 Full (C3) Professor, Clinical Research ‘Molecular pathology of cystic fibrosis’, Clinic for Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, MHH 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

  • 1971 – 1976 Biochemistry, Technical University of Hannover 

  • 1974 – 1981 Medicine, Hannover Medical School

  • 1979 Dr. rer. nat. (Physical Chemistry, summa cum laude) 

  • 1984 Dr. med. (Human Genetics, summa cum laude) 

  • 1991 Habilitation for Biochemistry, MHH 

Academic and Research Posts

  • 1976 – 1979 Scientific Assistant, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, MHH 

  • 1981 – 1983 Postdoc, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto 

  • 1983 – 1993 Research Associate, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, MHH 

  • Since 1983 Consultant of the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, Children’s Clinic, MHH 

  • Since 1993 Head, Clinical Research Group ‘Molecular pathology of cystic fibrosis’ 

Other Scientific Roles

  • Since 1992 Member of the Editorial Boards of Electrophoresis (1992-2002), Biochimica Biophysica Acta Molecular Basis of Disease (1994-2000), environmental microbiology (since 1999), Journal of Cystic Fibrosis (2004-2011), Journal of Bacteriology (2005- 2014), Microbes and Infection (since 2015); International Journal of Medical Microbiology (since 2017) 

  • 2000 – 2010 Speaker, DFG IRTG ‘Pseudomonas: Pathogenicity and Biotechnology’

  • 2002 – 2004 Editor, Genome Letters

  • 2006 – 2012 Substitute Chair ,Forschungsgemeinschaft Mukoviszidose’

  • Since 2011 Coordinator, Disease Area ‘Cystic Fibrosis’, German Center for Lung Research (DZL) 

  • Since 2014 Member of the ‘Faculty of 1000’ 

Awards and Prizes

  • 1971 – 1976 German National Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes) 

  • 1992 Windorfer Prize for Cystic Fibrosis Research

  • 1993 Schülke Prize for Hygiene

  • 1994 Rudolf-Schoen-Prize for Clinical Research

Recommended Links

For further information about Prof. Tümmler’s scientific work please check the following links:

10 Selected Publications (of > 321 original publications)

Guan S, Munder A, Hedtfeld S, Braubach P, Glage S, Zhang L, Lienenklaus S, Schultze A, Hasenpusch G, Garrels W, Stanke F, Miskey C, Johler SM, Kumar Y, Tümmler B, Rudolph C, Ivics Z, Rosenecker J. Self- assembled peptide-poloxamine nanoparticles enable in vitro and in vivo genome restoration for cystic fibrosis. Nat Nanotechnol. 2019; 14: 287-297.

Pienkowska K, Wiehlmann L, Tümmler B. Metagenome – inferred bacterial replication rates in cystic fibrosis airways. J Cyst Fibros. 2019 Jan 23. pii: S1569-1993(19)30010-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2019.01.003.

Graeber SY, Dopfer C, Naehrlich L, Gyulumyan L, Scheuermann H, Hirtz S, Wege S, Mairbäurl H, Dorda M, Hyde R, Bagheri-Hanson A, Rueckes-Nilges C, Fischer S, Mall MA, Tümmler B. Effects of lumacaftor-ivacaftor therapy on cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator function in Phe508del homozygous patients with cystic fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018; 197: 1433-1442.

Moran Losada P, Chouvarine P, Dorda M, Hedtfeld S, Mielke S, Schulz A, Wiehlmann L, Tümmler B. The cystic fibrosis lower airways microbial metagenome. ERJ Open Res. 2016;2(2). pii: 00096-2015.

Wiehlmann L, Wagner G, Cramer N, Siebert B, Gudowius P, Morales G, Köhler T, van Delden C, Weinel C, Slickers P, Tümmler B. Population structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007; 104:8101-6.

Nelson KE, Weinel C, Paulsen IT, Dodson RJ, Hilbert H, Martins dos Santos VA, Fouts DE, Gill SR, Pop M, Holmes M, Brinkac L, Beanan M, DeBoy RT, Daugherty S, Kolonay J, Madupu R, Nelson W, White O, Peterson J, Khouri H, Hance I, Chris Lee P, Holtzapple E, Scanlan D, Tran K, Moazzez A, Utterback T, Rizzo M, Lee K, Kosack D, Moestl D, Wedler H, Lauber J, Stjepandic D, Hoheisel J, Straetz M, Heim S, Kiewitz C, Eisen JA, Timmis KN, Düsterhöft A, Tümmler B, Fraser CM. Complete genome sequence and comparative analysis of the metabolically versatile Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Environ Microbiol. 2002; 4: 799-808.

Bronsveld I, Mekus F, Bijman J, Ballmann M, de Jonge HR, Laabs U, Halley DJ, Ellemunter H, Mastella G, Thomas S, Veeze HJ, Tümmler B. Chloride conductance and genetic background modulate the cystic fibrosis phenotype of Delta F508 homozygous twins and siblings. J Clin Invest. 2001; 108:1705-15.

Kälin N, Claass A, Sommer M, Puchelle E, Tümmler B. DeltaF508 CFTR protein expression in tissues from patients with cystic fibrosis. J Clin Invest. 1999; 103:1379-89.

Kubesch P, Dörk T, Wulbrand U, Kälin N, Neumann T, Wulf B, Geerlings H, Weissbrodt H, von der Hardt H, Tümmler B. Genetic determinants of airways‘ colonisation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis. Lancet. 1993; 341: 189-93.

Römling U, Grothues D, Bautsch W, Tümmler B. A physical genome map of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO. EMBO J. 1989; 8: 4081-9.