CURRICULUM VITAE
Barbara Weissenmayer, Ph.D.
Since May 2007
Senior postdoctoral research fellow,
UCD Conway Institute, Dublin, Ireland
2001 - 2007
Postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer for microbiology,
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
1998 - 2000
PhD in Biotechnology,
Technische Universitaet Berlin, Germany and
Center for Genomic Sciences, Cuernavaca, Mexico
1998
Diploma in Biology
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
1997
M.A. in German Literature, Philosophy and Anthropology
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
-
Acanthamoeba and Dictyostelium as a model organisms for bacterial pathogens
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Research
Free University Berlin, Department of Biology - Microbiology, 2001-2007

Development of an infection assay between Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and
Dictyostelium discoideum

De novo expression of Yersinia outer membrane proteins YopE, YopH, YopJ and
YopM in Dictyostelium

Investigation of phagocytosis, pinocytosis, chemotaxis and F-actin polymerization in
Yop expressing Dictyostelium cells

Analysis of expression and functional significance of the Ca2+/calmodulin regulated
protein phosphatase calcineurin in Dictyostelium

Determination of the role of calcineurin regarding growth, chemotaxis and
development from single cells to multicellular organism

Development of a yeast screening system to elucidate the calcineurin B mRNA
processing mechanism
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Associate Tutor, Free University Berlin (2001-2007)

Courses for undergraduate students
- Introduction into microbiology (lectures, seminars and laboratory exercises)
- Experimental evolution in real time (seminars and laboratory exercises)

Courses for graduate students
- Introduction into molecular and cell biology (seminars and laboratory exercises)
- Advanced eukaryotic microbiology (seminars and laboratory exercises)
- Dictyostelium as model organism for the pathogenicity of Yersinia and Legionella
(seminar and laboratory exercises)

Supervision of PhD student (2002-2005)
Dr. Katrina Boeckeler, Analysis of calcineurin B gene expression in Dicytostelium
GRANTS
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn, Germany.
Project: Calcineurin in Dictyostelium. 2001-2004
Free University Berlin: “Fördermittel der Freie Universität Berlin”
Project: Investigations of Yersinia virulence factors using Dictyostelium as model
organism. 2005-2006
PUBLICATIONS
Boeckeler K, Tischendorf G, Mutzel R, Weissenmayer B.
Aberrant stalk development and breakdown of tip dominance in Dictyostelium cell lines
with RNAi-silenced expression of calcineurin B.
BMC Dev Biol. 2006 2:6-12.
Lopez-Lara IM, Gao JL, Soto MJ, Solares-Perez A, Weissenmayer B, Sohlenkamp C,
Verroios GP, Thomas-Oates J, Geiger O.
Phosphorus-free membrane lipids of Sinorhizobium meliloti are not required for the
symbiosis with alfalfa but contribute to increased cell yields under phosphorus-limiting
conditions of growth.
Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2005 18(9):973-82.
Weissenmayer B, Boeckeler K, Lahrz A, Mutzel R.
The calcineurin inhibitor gossypol impairs growth, cell signalling and development in
Dictyostelium discoideum.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2005 1;242(1):19-25.
Gao JL, Weissenmayer B, Taylor AM, Thomas-Oates J, Lopez-Lara IM, Geiger O.
Identification of a gene required for the formation of lyso-ornithine lipid, an intermediate
in the biosynthesis of ornithine-containing lipids.
Mol Microbiol. 2004 53(6):1757-70.
Weissenmayer B, Gao JL, Lopez-Lara IM, Geiger O.
Identification of a gene required for the biosynthesis of ornithine-derived lipids.
Mol Microbiol. 2002 45(3):721-33.
Weissenmayer B, Geiger O, Benning C.
Disruption of a gene essential for sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol biosynthesis in
Sinorhizobium meliloti has no detectable effect on root nodule symbiosis.
Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2000 13(6):666-72.
Geiger O, Rohrs V, Weissenmayer B, Finan TM, Thomas-Oates JE.
The regulator gene phoB mediates phosphate stress-controlled synthesis of the
membrane lipid diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine in
Rhizobium (Sinorhizobium) meliloti.
Mol Microbiol. 1999 32(1):63-73.