description of new species nowadays also

identity (AAI) calculations. Based on physio-

should include genome sequence information

logical, chemotaxonomic and genetic data, weto obtain a clear picture of the genomic

propose the description of a novel species andlandscape of the novel organism. In thisgenus of which Anaeropeptidivorans amino-context, CeBiTec researchers from the groupfermentans gen. nov., sp. nov. M3/9T represents“GenomeMicro-

the type strain. This study showcases the valueorganisms” led by Prof. Alfred Pühler togetherof genome sequencing at the CeBiTec and oncewith colleagues from the Technical University

again highlights its power for describing novelof Munich, the Ludwig-Maximilians Universitymicrobial taxa.

of Munich, the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German

The species description entitled “Anaeropep-Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures

tidivorans aminofermentans gen. nov., sp. nov.,

GmbH (DSMZ), the Justus-Liebig University

a mesophilic proteolytic salt-tolerant bac-Giessen, the University of Oldenburg and theterium isolated from a laboratory-scale biogas

Humboldt University of Berlin joined forces andfermenter, and emended description of Clostri-described a new species within a new genus,

dium colinum” was recently published in

namely Anaeropeptidivorans aminofermen-

International Journal of Systematic and Evolu-tans strain M3/9T. The corresponding approachtionary

involved interpretation of established genome

manuscript on Anaeropeptidivorans aminofer-

sequence information and physiological cha-mentans M3/9T genome analysis entitled “Theracterization of the isolate. An anaerobic

novel oligopeptide utilizing species Anaero-ResearchofIndustrial

complementary

waspeptidivorans aminofermentans M3/9T and its

isolated from a mesophilic laboratory-scalerole in anaerobic digestion as deduced frombiogas fermenter. It featured straight, non-large-scale fragment recruitment analyses”

motile rods which occurred as single cells

was published almost in the same time in the(Figure 8).

Frontiers of Microbiology Journal.

bacterialstrain,

designatedT

Microbiology. TheM3/9 ,Reference
Maus, I., Wibberg, D., Belmann, P., Hahnke, S., Huang, L.
et al (2022) The novel proteolytic species Anaeropeptidivorans aminofermentans M3/9 T and its role inFigure 8: Cell morphology of strain M3/9T grown in TSB
mediumforoneday.

(A)

Scanning

electronphotomicrograph; (B) Phase-contrast photomicrograph(Source: Andreas Klingl).

Phylogenetic analysis allocated strain M3/9T
within the family Lachnospiraceae (phylum

anaerobic digestion as deduced from large-scale
fragment recruitment analyses. Front. Microbiol.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032515(I. Maus, A. Schlüter & A. Pühler)

Intensification of collaboration withBacillota) with Clostridium colinum DSM 6011T

Japan during “Specially Appointedand Anaerotignum lactatifermentans DSM

Professorship” of Prof. Dr. Harald Gröger

14214T being the most closely related species asat Osaka University

deduced from their 16S rRNA gene sequencesimilarities complemented with comparative

The scientific exchange and intensification ofgenome analyses e.g. average amino acidexisting collaboration projects with research

7|8CeBiTec – Quarterly | Autumn 2022

groups from Osaka University were a major
focus of the first stay of CeBiTec-member Prof.
Dr. Harald Gröger (Chair of Industrial Organic
Chemistry and Biotechnology at Bielefeld University) within his “Specially Appointed Professorship” at Osaka University. Osaka University is one of the largest national universities inJapan with an outstanding international
scientific visibility and track record, being
ranked 3rd among all universities in Japan and68th worldwide in the “QS World University

Figure 9: Prof. Akai (right) and Prof. Gröger (left) after his

Rankings 2023” on top global universities.

Special Lecture at the “Mini-Symposium on Organic

Furthermore, Osaka University is one of theChemistry” of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical

official international partner universities ofSciences at Osaka University

Bielefeld University, and since many years there
are close ties between the Chair of IndustrialOrganic Chemistry and Biotechnology at Bielefeld University and research groups fromdifferent departments at Osaka University.
Thus, besides current projects also future strategies for collaboration initiatives in the fieldof organic chemistry and biotechnology havebeen discussed within this stay of Prof. Gröger
at Osaka University. In addition, he gave scien-

broadly applicable process technology platform for this class of compounds. Chiral tertiary alcohols and derivatives thereof are ofhigh industrial interest in the field of pharmaceuticals. A representative example being alsoa target molecule in this collaboration projectis the anti-HIV drug Efavirenz. The next stay ofProf. Gröger in Osaka within this “SpeciallyAppointed Professorship” at Osaka University
is scheduled to take place in March 2023.

tific lectures such as a Special Lecture at the“Mini-Symposium on Organic Chemistry” of(H. Gröger)the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Osaka University as well as furtherlectures at the Graduate School of Engineering(Figure 9). An ongoing collaboration projectwith the research group of Prof. Dr. Shuji Akai
from Osaka University centers on the extensionof the jointly demonstrated recent proof-ofconcept for a chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of a tertiary alcohol towards aImpressum
Centrum für Biotechnologie
Universität Bielefeld
Dr. Lutz Wobbe
Universitätsstr. 2733615 Bielefeld
Germany
info@cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de

8|8Concept & Idea:
Dr. Stefan Weidner

Figures:Figs. 1,4-6 © K. Röllke
Fig. 2 © O. Kruse
Fig. 3 © J. Mussgnug
Fig. 7 © T. BaierFig. 8 © A. Klingl
Fig. 9 © H. Gröger

CeBiTec – Quarterly | Autumn 2022