The researcher will use the prestigious grant to investigate how microorganisms reactivate their metabolism after prolonged dormancy.

Dr. Sofia Doello has been a research group leader at LMU’s Biocenter since July 2026. Previously she was group leader at the Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC) at Paris-Saclay University. She has been awarded a grant of around 1.63 million euros for her research through the Emmy Noether program. In her project Metabolic foundation of developmental transitions, she will investigate over the coming years how microorganisms reactivate their metabolism after a prolonged period of dormancy.

How bacteria reawaken after hard times
Many bacteria survive adverse environmental conditions by entering a sleeplike state and remaining inactive for months or even years until conditions improve again. According to estimates, the majority of all bacteria in natural habitats are in such a dormant phase at any one time. In her project, Sofia Doello wants to determine how cyanobacteria perform this remarkable transition from dormancy back to active growth and reawaken from their slumber.

By studying how bacteria use stored resources, reactivate their metabolism, and rebuild the mechanisms required for photosynthesis, the project will uncover fundamental principles of survival and cell regeneration. Because dormant states are closely related to the survival and spread of pathogenic bacteria and the development of antibiotic resistance, such research is also highly relevant to medicine.

“The results could not only deepen our understanding of how microorganisms adapt to changing environmental conditions, but also yield fresh ideas for the use of cyanobacteria in sustainable biotechnology and improve our understanding of the resilience of bacteria in healthy and diseased bodies,” says Doello.