Michaela Wenzel

@chalmers.se

Associate Professor, Department of Life Sciences
Chalmers University of Technology

Michaela Wenzel


                           Download Compact PDF  
https://researchid.co/michaela_wenzel
2023- Associate Professor, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology
2019-2023 Assistant Professor, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology
2017-2019 Research Fellow, Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam University Medical Centers
2014-2017 Postdoc, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam
2014 Research exchange with Newcastle University (UK, 1 month)
2013-2014 Postdoc, Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum

EDUCATION

2009-2013 Doctor rerum naturalium (Fast Track ), Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum
Grade: summa cum laude (with distinction, highest possible)
2010 Master of Science equivalence exams in Biology (Fast Track*), Ruhr University Bochum
Grade: excellent (highest possible)
2006-2009 Bachelor of Science in Biology, Ruhr University Bochum
Grade: excellent (highest possible)

*The Fast Track program is an excellence scheme that allows Bachelor students, who obtain the highest grade ‘excellent’, to skip the Master program and immediately pursue PhD studies. Candidates must complete Master equivalence exams within the first year of their PhD.

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
3409

Scholar Citations

27

Scholar h-index

39

Scholar i10-index

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • A platinum butterfly effect: small changes turn an anticancer drug into a non-toxic metalloantibiotic with in vivo efficacy
    Ç Özsan, AB Schäfer, A Akhir, OA Aning, S Fulgencio, R Maitra, R Rani, ...
    npj Antimicrobials and Resistance , 2026
    2026
    Citations: 1
  • Expanding the DNA damaging potential of artificial metallo-nucleases with click chemistry
    A Gibney, M Sidarta, E Delahunt, P Mesdom, L Arrué, S Kk, OA Aning, ...
    Nature Communications , 2026
    2026
    Citations: 3
  • The last resort antibiotic daptomycin exhibits two independent antibacterial mechanisms of action
    JA Buttress, AB Schäfer, A Koh, J Wheatley, K Mickiewicz, M Wenzel, ...
    Nature Communications 16 (1), 10320 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 13
  • Treating the untreatable: Reversing β-lactam resistance in MRSA by membrane-domain-dissolving antibiotics
    A Melcrová, W Woudstra, M Wenzel, M Gabler, W Stensen, ...
    bioRxiv, 2025.10. 27.684379 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 1
  • Fluoroquinolones as versatile scaffolds: Potential for targeting classical and novel mechanisms to combat antibacterial resistance
    AMK El-Sagheir, M Wenzel, J Yli-Kauhaluoma
    European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 107247 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 11
  • Minimization of the Bacillus subtilis divisome suggests FtsZ and SepF can form an active Z-ring, and reveals the amino acid transporter BraB as a new cell division …
    IC Gulsoy, TNV Saaki, M Wenzel, S Syvertsson, T Morimoto, TK Siersma, ...
    PLoS genetics 21 (1), e1011567 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 7
  • Contribution of the Bacillus subtilis ytrGABCDEF operon to antibiotic stress adaptation
    L Baruah, M Sidarta, P Hammer úr Skúoy, O Johnsson, E Frisk, P Didelot, ...
    Microbiology Spectrum 14 (1), e02694-25 , 2025
    2025
  • The diverse activities and mechanisms of the acylphloroglucinol antibiotic rhodomyrtone: antibacterial activity and beyond
    R Rani, G Marinho Righetto, AB Schäfer, M Wenzel
    Antibiotics 13 (10), 936 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 4
  • Membrane depolarization kills dormant Bacillus subtilis cells by generating a lethal dose of ROS
    DA Gray, B Wang, M Sidarta, FA Cornejo, J Wijnheijmer, R Rani, ...
    Nature Communications 15 (1), 6877 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 39
  • Lipid phase separation impairs membrane thickness sensing by the Bacillus subtilis sensor kinase DesK
    M Sidarta, AI Lorente Martín, A Monsalve, G Marinho Righetto, AB Schäfer, ...
    Microbiology Spectrum 12 (6), e03925-23 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 4
  • Dissecting antibiotic effects on the cell envelope using bacterial cytological profiling: a phenotypic analysis starter kit
    AB Schäfer, M Sidarta, I Abdelmesseh Nekhala, G Marinho Righetto, ...
    Microbiology Spectrum 12 (3), e03275-23 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 15
  • Nature inspired unique antimicrobial peptides from Chilean marine sediments
    L Beyer, AB Schäfer, ANU Canusso, I Mattsby-Baltzer, D Tietze, ...
    Journal of Peptide Science 30 (2), P2055-P2055 , 2024
    2024
  • Mimicking Nonribosomal Peptides from the Marine Actinomycete Streptomyces sp. H-KF8 Leads to Antimicrobial Peptides
    LI Beyer, AB Schäfer, A Undabarrena, I Mattsby-Baltzer, D Tietze, ...
    ACS Infectious Diseases 10 (1), 79-92 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 7
  • Design, synthesis, molecular modeling, biological activity, and mechanism of action of novel amino acid derivatives of norfloxacin
    AM Kamal El-sagheir, I Abdelmesseh Nekhala, MK Abd El-Gaber, ...
    ACS omega 8 (45), 43271-43284 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 7
  • N4-substituted piperazinyl norfloxacin derivatives with broad-spectrum activity and multiple mechanisms on gyrase, topoisomerase IV, and bacterial cell wall synthesis
    AM Kamal El-sagheir, I Abdelmesseh Nekhala, MK Abd El-Gaber, ...
    ACS bio & med chem Au 3 (6), 494-506 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 20
  • Dual action of eeyarestatin 24 on sec-dependent protein secretion and bacterial DNA
    AB Schafer, M Steenhuis, KK Jim, J Neef, S O’Keefe, RC Whitehead, ...
    ACS Infectious Diseases 9 (2), 253-269 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 11
  • Rational design, synthesis, molecular modeling, biological activity, and mechanism of action of polypharmacological norfloxacin hydroxamic acid derivatives
    AMK El-Sagheir, IA Nekhala, MK Abd El-Gaber, AS Aboraia, J Persson, ...
    RSC Medicinal Chemistry 14 (12), 2593-2610 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 7
  • Tracking global and local changes in membrane fluidity through fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy
    M Humphrey, I Abdelmesseh Nekhala, K Scheinpflug, O Krylova, ...
    Antibiotics: Methods and Protocols, 203-229 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 7
  • Roles of bacterial mechanosensitive channels in infection and antibiotic susceptibility
    M Sidarta, L Baruah, M Wenzel
    Pharmaceuticals 15 (7), 770 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 26
  • SepF supports the recruitment of the DNA translocase SftA to the Z‐ring
    TNV Saaki, Z Teng, M Wenzel, M Ventroux, R Carballido‐Lόpez, ...
    Molecular Microbiology 117 (5), 1263-1274 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 5

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Daptomycin inhibits cell envelope synthesis by interfering with fluid membrane microdomains
    A Müller, M Wenzel, H Strahl, F Grein, TNV Saaki, B Kohl, T Siersma, ...
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113 (45), E7077-E7086 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 527
  • Small cationic antimicrobial peptides delocalize peripheral membrane proteins
    M Wenzel, AI Chiriac, A Otto, D Zweytick, C May, C Schumacher, R Gust, ...
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (14), E1409-E1418 , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 373
  • Multitarget approaches against multiresistant superbugs
    DA Gray, M Wenzel
    ACS infectious diseases 6 (6), 1346-1365 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 216
  • Analysis of the mechanism of action of potent antibacterial hetero-tri-organometallic compounds: a structurally new class of antibiotics
    M Wenzel, M Patra, CHR Senges, I Ott, JJ Stepanek, A Pinto, P Prochnow, ...
    ACS chemical biology 8 (7), 1442-1450 , 2013
    2013
    Citations: 175
  • More than a pore: a current perspective on the in vivo mode of action of the lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin
    DA Gray, M Wenzel
    Antibiotics 9 (1), 17 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 139
  • The multifaceted antibacterial mechanisms of the pioneering peptide antibiotics tyrocidine and gramicidin S
    M Wenzel, M Rautenbach, JA Vosloo, T Siersma, CHM Aisenbrey, ...
    MBio 9 (5), 10.1128/mbio. 00802-18 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 139
  • Proteomic response of Bacillus subtilis to lantibiotics reflects differences in interaction with the cytoplasmic membrane
    M Wenzel, B Kohl, D Münch, N Raatschen, HB Albada, L Hamoen, ...
    Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 56 (11), 5749-5757 , 2012
    2012
    Citations: 134
  • Antimicrobial peptide cWFW kills by combining lipid phase separation with autolysis
    K Scheinpflug, M Wenzel, O Krylova, JE Bandow, M Dathe, H Strahl
    Scientific Reports 7 (1), 44332 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 127
  • Synthesis and biological evaluation of ferrocene-containing bioorganometallics inspired by the antibiotic platensimycin lead structure
    M Patra, G Gasser, M Wenzel, K Merz, JE Bandow, N Metzler-Nolte
    Organometallics 29 (19), 4312-4319 , 2010
    2010
    Citations: 106
  • Bactericidal activity of amphipathic cationic antimicrobial peptides involves altering the membrane fluidity when interacting with the phospholipid bilayer
    S Omardien, JW Drijfhout, FM Vaz, M Wenzel, LW Hamoen, SAJ Zaat, ...
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Biomembranes 1860 (11), 2404-2415 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 103
  • The novel antibiotic rhodomyrtone traps membrane proteins in vesicles with increased fluidity
    D Saeloh, V Tipmanee, KK Jim, MP Dekker, W Bitter, ...
    PLoS pathogens 14 (2), e1006876 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 102
  • The lantibiotic NAI-107 binds to bactoprenol-bound cell wall precursors and impairs membrane functions
    D Münch, A Müller, T Schneider, B Kohl, M Wenzel, JE Bandow, S Maffioli, ...
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 289 (17), 12063-12076 , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 102
  • Modulating the activity of short arginine-tryptophan containing antibacterial peptides with N-terminal metallocenoyl groups
    HB Albada, AI Chiriac, M Wenzel, M Penkova, JE Bandow, HG Sahl, ...
    Beilstein journal of organic chemistry 8 (1), 1753-1764 , 2012
    2012
    Citations: 92
  • An organometallic structure-activity relationship study reveals the essential role of a Re (CO) 3 moiety in the activity against gram-positive pathogens including MRSA
    M Patra, M Wenzel, P Prochnow, V Pierroz, G Gasser, JE Bandow, ...
    Chemical science 6 (1), 214-224 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 87
  • Assessing membrane fluidity and visualizing fluid membrane domains in bacteria using fluorescent membrane dyes
    M Wenzel, NOE Vischer, H Strahl, LW Hamoen
    Bio-protocol 8 (20), e3063-e3063 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 83
  • Proteomic signature of fatty acid biosynthesis inhibition available for in vivo mechanism-of-action studies
    M Wenzel, M Patra, D Albrecht, DYK Chen, KC Nicolaou, N Metzler-Nolte, ...
    Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 55 (6), 2590-2596 , 2011
    2011
    Citations: 82
  • A how-to guide for mode of action analysis of antimicrobial peptides
    AB Schäfer, M Wenzel
    Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 10, 540898 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 81
  • Proteomic signatures in antibiotic research
    M Wenzel, JE Bandow
    Proteomics 11 (15), 3256-3268 , 2011
    2011
    Citations: 71
  • A flat embedding method for transmission electron microscopy reveals an unknown mechanism of tetracycline
    M Wenzel, MP Dekker, B Wang, MJ Burggraaf, W Bitter, JRT van Weering, ...
    Communications biology 4 (1), 306 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 56
  • Comparison of proteomic responses as global approach to antibiotic mechanism of action elucidation
    CHR Senges, JJ Stepanek, M Wenzel, N Raatschen, Ü Ay, Y Märtens, ...
    Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 65 (1), 10.1128/aac. 01373-20 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 54