Algal polysaccharides

Together with our partners from academia and industry, we are investigating the structure and properties of marine polysaccharides, also known as glycans. We use systematic environmental studies and laboratory experiments on model marine bacteria, as well as in-depth biochemical analyses of relevant enzymes, to elucidate the strategies bacteria employ in the utilization of algal polysaccharides. Our goal is to identify specific metabolic pathways and carbohydrate-active enzymes involved in glycan synthesis and degradation. The functions of marine enzymes that we have deciphered enable the production of customized poly- and oligosaccharide compounds that are of biotechnological and pharmaceutical interest due to the unique biophysical properties of these glycans.

References

Sulfated mannan of diatoms selects host-specific microbiota in the sunlit ocean.

Krull J, Sidhu C, Solanki V, Bligh M, Rößler L, Singh RK, Huang G, Robb CS, Teeling H, Seeberger PH, Schweder T, Crawford CJ, Hehemann JH.

Microbiome. 2026 Mar 26;14(1):112. doi: 10.1186/s40168-026-02379-9.

Fructan utilization by members of marine Gammaproteobacteria involves SusC/D-like proteins.

Zühlke MK, Bahr A, Bartosik D, Solanki V, Teune M, Welsch N, Unfried F, Barbeyron T, Ficko-Blean E, Schoppmeier P, Schiller L, Busse N, Banerjee D, Cladière L, Jeudy A, Susemihl A, Hartmann F, Jouanneau D, Jam M, Höhne M, Delcea M, Reintjes G, Bornscheuer UT, Becher D, Hehemann JH, Czjzek M, Schweder T.

ISME J. 2026 Jan 14;20(1):wrag030. doi: 10.1093/ismejo/wrag030.

Alpha-glucans from bacterial necromass indicate an intra-population loop within the marine carbon cycle.

Beidler I, Steinke N, Schulze T, Sidhu C, Bartosik D, Zühlke MK, Martin LT, Krull J, Dutschei T, Ferrero-Bordera B, Rielicke J, Kale V, Sura T, Trautwein-Schult A, Kirstein IV, Wiltshire KH, Teeling H, Becher D, Bengtsson MM, Hehemann JH, Bornscheuer UT, Amann RI, Schweder T.

Nat Commun. 2024 May 14;15(1):4048. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-48301-5.

Verrucomicrobia use hundreds of enzymes to digest the algal polysaccharide fucoidan.

Sichert A, Corzett CH, Schechter MS, Unfried F, Markert S, Becher D, Fernandez-Guerra A, Liebeke M, Schweder T, Polz MF, Hehemann JH.

Nat Microbiol. 2020 Aug;5(8):1026-1039. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0720-2.

A marine bacterial enzymatic cascade degrades the algal polysaccharide ulvan.

Reisky L, Préchoux A, Zühlke MK, Bäumgen M, Robb CS, Gerlach N, Roret T, Stanetty C, Larocque R, Michel G, Song T, Markert S, Unfried F, Mihovilovic MD, Trautwein-Schult A, Becher D, Schweder T, Bornscheuer UT, Hehemann JH.

Nat Chem Biol. 2019 Aug;15(8):803-812. doi: 10.1038/s41589-019-0311-9.