Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gabriele Berg
Department: Microbiome Biotechnology
Research program
Research areas
Microbiome research and management
Affiliations
Department of Microbiome Biotechnology (Head)
Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB),
& University of Potsdam, Potsdam, GERMANY
Institute of Environmental Biotechnology (Head)
Graz University of Technology, Graz, AUSTRIA
Committees and boards
International Verticillium Steering Committee (2001 -)
Head of the Working Group “Biological control of diseases”, DPG (2004 - 2012)
ÖGMBT Management Board (2009 - 2014)
Senat of TU Graz (2009 -)
Steering committee BioTechMed Graz (2017 -)
Steering committee FoE Human & Biotechnology - TU Graz
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (2014 – 2015)
Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology GmbH (2015 – 2019)
Scientific Advisory Board EU Projects: BIOFECTOR EU (2013 - 2017); LIVESEED (2017 – 2020)
Scientific Advisory Board: Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ)
- ERC-Evaluatorin (2022 -)
- Wissenschaftlicher Beirat Forschungsstelle für gartenbauliche Kulturpflanzen, Fachhochschule Erfurt (2023)
- International Society for Microbial Ecology - Vize President (2024 -)
- Stiftung Kunst und Natur (2024)
Awards
- Ehrenzeichen des Landes Steiermark für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst (2022)
- Forschungspreis des Landes Steiermark (2021)
- Highly Cited Researcher (Web of Science Group) - in den Jahren 2018-20 unter den 1% der Top Wissenschaftler*innen weltweit (nach Clarivate Analytics)
- BioTechMed Best Paper Award (2020)
- Frontiers Spotlight Award 2nd (2017)
- Fast Forward Award Styria (2016)
- ÖGUT Umweltpreis (2011)
- Science2Business Award Austria (2011)
- Business award „Rostocker Kreis“ (2005)
- Heisenberg Fellowship of the DFG (2003)
Publications
- Schweitzer, M.; Friedrich, A.; Dennig, A.; Berg, G.; Müller Bogotá, C. (2025): Exploring 1-alkene biosynthesis in bacterial antagonists and Jeotgalicoccus sp. ATCC 8456. FEMS Microbiology Letters. : p. 1-9. Online: https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnaf004
- Fernández-Gómez, P.; Leong, D.; Berg, G.; Brennan, F.; Caruso, T.; Charles, T.; Cocolin, L.; Lange, L.; McAuliffe, O.; Maguin, E.; OSullivan, O.; Sanz, Y.; Sarand, I.; Sessitsch, A.; Smidt, H.; Brereton, N.; Candela, M.; Kenny, J.; Kostic, T.; Mahony, J.; Wagner, M.; Cotter, P. (2025): Harnessing agri-food system microbiomes for sustainability and human health. Frontiers in Science. : p. 1-20. Online: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2025.1575468
- Li, X.; Bickel, S.; Wicaksono, W.; Lin, X.; Berg, G.; Zhu, Y. (2025): Unraveling antibiotic resistance dynamics at the soil-plant interface under climate change for One Health. One Health Advances. : p. 16. Online: https://doi.org/10.1186/s44280-025-00081-3
- Zhou, Y.; Wang, H.; Sun, J.; Wicaksono, W.; Liu, C.; He, Y.; Qin, Y.; Berg, G.; Li, L.; Lin, H.; Chai, Y.; Bai, Y.; Ma, Z.; Cernava, T.; Chen, Y. (2025): Phenazines contribute to microbiome dynamics by targeting topoisomerase IV. Nature Microbiology. : p. 2396-2411. Online: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-025-02118-0
- Gilbert, J.; Peixoto, R.; Scholz, A.; Dominguez Bello, M.; Korsten, L.; Berg, G.; Singh, B.; Boetius, A.; Wang, F.; Greening, C.; Wrighton, K.; Bordenstein, S.; Jansson, J.; Lennon, J.; Souza, V.; Thomas, T.; Cowan, D.; Crowther, T.; Nguyen, N.; Harper, L.; Haraoui, L.; Ishaq, S.; Redford, K. (2025): Launching the IUCN Microbial Conservation Specialist Group as a global safeguard for microbial biodiversity. Nature Microbiology. : p. 2359-2360. Online: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-025-02113-5
- Bziuk, N.; Wassermann, B.; Bickel, S.; Omidvar, R.; Manica, A.; Berg, G. (2025): Aureobasidium pullulans: a microbiome-based perspective from global biomes to edible plant tissues. Frontiers in Plant Science. : p. 1652366. Online: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1652366
- Thenappan, D.; Wicaksono, W.; Berg, G.; Joshi, V. (2025): Niche-specific microbial diversity, interactions, and functional potential within the spinach microbiome. Current Research in Microbial Sciences. : p. 100475. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmicr.2025.100475
- Olimi, E.; Wuggenig, R.; Lobato, C.; Bickel, S.; Kusstatscher, P.; Wicaksono, W.; Battisti, A.; Coyne, D.; Adriko, J.; Cernava, T.; Berg, G. (2025): Insights Into the Mondia Whitei Microbiome Across Geographic Regions in Eastern Africa. Environmental Microbiology Reports. (5): p. 1-14. Online: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.70200
- Ajibade, O.; Olimi, E.; Wicaksono, W.; Oladipo, E.; Oloke, J.; Oyawoye, O.; Cernava, T.; Berg, G. (2025): Indigenous Nigerian Vegetables Harbour PlantSpecies-Specific Seed Microbial Signatures for Bacteriaand Fungi. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. (4): p. 1-14. Online: https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70102
- Gilbert, J.; Scholz, A.; Dominguez Bello, M.; Korsten, L.; Berg, G.; Singh, B.; Boetius, A.; Wang, F.; Greening, C.; Wrighton, K.; Bordenstein, S.; Jansson, J.; Lennon, J.; Souza, V.; Allard, S.; Thomas, T.; Cowan, D.; Crowther, T.; Nguyen, N.; Harper, L.; Haraoui, L.; Ishaq, S.; McFall-Ngai, M.; Redford, K.; Peixoto, R. (2025): Safeguarding microbial biodiversity: microbial conservation specialist group within the species survival commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. (12): p. 1-7. Online: https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaf107
Weitere Veröffentlichungen
Berg, G., Rybakova, D., Fischer, D. et al. Microbiome definition re-visited: old concepts and new challenges. Microbiome 8, 103 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-020-00875-0
Zum Nachhören & -lesen:
What is a microbiome? (TU Graz, 2019):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K7FavVORLoTalking about ... the microbiome and pandemics (TU Graz, 2020):
https://www.tugraz.at/tu-graz/services/news-stories/talking-about/einzelansicht/article/den-ursprung-von-pandemien-im-mikrobiom/
"Mikrobiomforschung ist mein Leben" (APA-Science, 2020):
https://science.apa.at/power-search/6142539166532501377Mikrobiomforschung – ein neuer Schlüssel zur Gesundheit? (2020):
https://montagsakademie.uni-graz.at/de/neuigkeiten/detail/article/vortrag-mikrobiomforschung-ein-neuer-schluessel-zur-gesundheit/
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2001 Habilitation and Venia legendi (Microbiology), University of Rostock
1995 Dissertation, Dr. rer. nat. (Microbiology, Phytomedicine), University of Rostock
1986 - 1987 Research grant Microbiology/Biotechnology at University of Greifswald
1981 - 1986 Study of biology at the University of Rostock
1969 - 1981 Elementary school and Helmholtz-Gymnasium Potsdam in Potsdam
Career
2021 - Joint appointment Head of the Department Bioengineering at ATB and
Professor for Plant Microbiome Management at University of Potsdam
2005 - University Professor for Environmental Biotechnology at the TU Graz
2003 - 2005 Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation
1996 - 2003 Assistant and senior assistant in microbiology at the University of Rostock
1991 - 1995 Biotechnology, Plant Sciences, University of Rostock
1989 - 1991 Plant-associated microorganisms, Plant Physiology, University of Rostock
1986 - 1989 Biotechnologically relevant fungi, Microbiology, University of Greifswald