Expertise

Cellular microbiology, biofilms, hydrology, biotechnology

Bio

Professor Hans-Curt Flemming has been working on biofilms for more than 30 years and is one of the pioneering initiators of biofilm research in Germany. His field covers aspects of biofouling, e.g., of separation membranes or other industrial systems, as well as fundamentals of the physico-chemical properties of biofilms and the central role of their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). When he founded the Biofilm Centre at the University of Duisburg-Essen, he focused on questions regarding pathogens in biofilms and their survival, proliferation, contamination potential and possible countermeasures. Alongside that work, he also studied the phenomenon of viable-but-nonculturable pathogens and their potential for resuscitation, particularly in biofilms. Prof. Flemming is fascinated with the biofilm mode of life and their emergent properties, which are responsible for their multicellular behaviour and reason for their successful existence.