Biography:Rainer Borriss

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Short description: German microbiologist
Rainer Borriss
Born (1945-04-30) April 30, 1945 (age 81)
Prerow, Mecklenburg, Germany
CitizenshipGerman
Alma materMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Known forBacillus enzymes; Bacillus subtilis genome project; Bacillus velezensis FZB42
AwardsNational Prize of the GDR in Science and Technology (1986)
Scientific career
FieldsMicrobiology, bacterial genetics
InstitutionsHumboldt University of Berlin

Rainer Borriss (born 30 April 1945) is a German microbiologist and professor emeritus at Humboldt University of Berlin. His research has focused on Bacillus enzymes, Bacillus subtilis genome sequencing project, and the characterization of Bacillus velezensis FZB42 as a model Gram-positive plant-beneficial bacterium. He held the chair for Bacterial Genetics at Humboldt University from 1992 to 2010 and co-founded the biotechnology company ABiTEP GmbH in 2005.[1]

As of April 2026, Borriss has an h-index of 74 and more than 23,000 citations according to Google Scholar.[2]

Early life and education

Borriss was born in Prerow, Mecklenburg, Germany. He studied biology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg from 1964 to 1971.[3]

He received his Diploma in Biology in 1971 and his doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in 1972.[4]

Career

From 1971 to 1981, Borriss directed microbiological laboratories at PROWIKO in Schönebeck/Elbe, where work was carried out on the development of microbial β-glucanase as a substitute for malt in East German brewing.[5][6]

Borriss joined Humboldt University of Berlin in 1989 and was appointed Professor of Bacterial Genetics in 1992, serving until 2010. He was deputy director of the Institute of Biology from 2000 to 2001. Since 2010, he has held the title of professor emeritus at Humboldt University.[7][8]

Research

β-Glucanase enzymology

Borriss's early research focused on bacterial β-glucanases. In collaboration with Jürgen Hofemeister, he cloned and sequenced Bacillus β-glucanase genes.[9] At the Carlsberg Research Laboratory, he contributed to the development of thermostable hybrid β-glucanases.[10] Structural studies with Udo Heinemann (de) led to the characterization of enzyme structures including GluXyn-1.[11]

Bacillus subtilis genome project

Borriss participated in the international sequencing of the Bacillus subtilis genome.[12] His group contributed a chromosomal region involved in purine metabolism.[13][14]

Plant growth promotion and biocontrol

From the 2000s, Borriss focused on plant growth-promoting bacteria. His group sequenced the genome of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42.[15] He identified gene clusters responsible for antimicrobial metabolites including lipopeptides, polyketides, and bacilysin.[16] His research also demonstrated the role of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in plant growth promotion.[17] In 2017, he contributed to taxonomic clarification within the Bacillus subtilis species complex.[18]

Awards

  • 1986 – National Prize of the GDR in Science and Technology[1]

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Prof. Dr. Rainer Borriss". https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/people-detail-page/prof-i-r-dr-rer-nat-rainer-borriss. 
  2. ↑ "Google Scholar". https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xxZZV9oAAAAJ. 
  3. ↑ Borriss, Rainer; Gao, Xuewen; Fan, Ben (13 February 2026). "Bacillus velezensis as a model for plant-associated beneficial bacilli". Journal of Bacteriology 208 (3): e00519–25. doi:10.1128/jb.00519-25. PMID 41685904. 
  4. ↑ "Rainer Borriss" (in en). https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/187580/bio. 
  5. ↑ Borriss, R.; Zemek, J. (1 January 1980). "β-1,3-1,4-Glucanase in sporenbildenden Mikroorganismen". Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene. Zweite Naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung: Mikrobiologie der Landwirtschaft, der Technologie und des Umweltschutzes 135 (8): 696–703. doi:10.1016/S0323-6056(80)80085-1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0323605680800851. 
  6. ↑ Borriss, Rainer; Baumlein, Helmut; Hofemeister, Jurgen (May 1985). "Expression in Escherichia coli of a cloned ?-glucanase gene from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 22 (1). doi:10.1007/BF00252158. 
  7. ↑ Borriss, R.; Ohmann, E. (1972). "Citrate synthase as a key enzyme in the regulation of heterotrophic and autotrophic metabolism of Rhodopseudomonas". Biochemie und Physiologie der Pflanzen 163 (3): 328–333. doi:10.1016/S0015-3796(17)31244-1. Bibcode: 1972BioPP.163..328B. 
  8. ↑ Kunst, F. et al. (1997). "The complete genome sequence of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis". Nature 390 (6657): 249–256. doi:10.1038/36786. PMID 9384377. Bibcode: 1997Natur.390..249K. https://www.nature.com/articles/36786. 
  9. ↑ Hofemeister, J.; Kurtz, A.; Borriss, R.; Knowles, J. (1986). "The beta-glucanase gene from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens shows extensive homology with that of Bacillus subtilis". Gene 49 (2): 177–187. doi:10.1016/0378-1119(86)90278-7. PMID 3106158. 
  10. ↑ Borriss, R.; Olsen, O.; Thomsen, K.K.; von Wettstein, D. (1989). "Hybrid Bacillus endo-(1–3,1–4)-β-glucanases". Carlsberg Research Communications 54 (2): 41–54. doi:10.1007/BF02907584. PMID 2673278. 
  11. ↑ Ay, J.; Götz, F.; Borriss, R.; Heinemann, U. (1998). "Structure and function of the Bacillus hybrid enzyme GluXyn-1". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95 (12): 6613–6618. doi:10.1073/pnas.95.12.6613. PMID 9618460. 
  12. ↑ Kunst, F.; Ogasawara, N.; Moszer, I.; Albertini, A.M.; Alloni, G.; Azevedo, V.; Borriss, R.; Danchin, A. (1997). "The complete genome sequence of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis". Nature 390 (6657): 249–256. doi:10.1038/36786. PMID 9384377. Bibcode: 1997Natur.390..249K. 
  13. ↑ Borriss, R.; Porwollik, S.; Schroeter, R. (1996). "The 52°–55° segment of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome". Microbiology 142 (11): 3027–3031. doi:10.1099/13500872-142-11-3027. PMID 8969499. 
  14. ↑ Borriss, R.; Danchin, A.; Harwood, C.R.; Médigue, C.; Rocha, E.P.C.; Sekowska, A.; Vallenet, D. (2018). "Bacillus subtilis, the model Gram-positive bacterium". Microbial Biotechnology 11 (1): 3–17. doi:10.1111/1751-7915.13043. PMID 29280348. 
  15. ↑ Chen, X.H.; Koumoutsi, A.; Scholz, R.; Eisenreich, A.; Schneider, K.; Borriss, R. (2007). "Comparative analysis of the genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42". Nature Biotechnology 25 (9): 1007–1014. doi:10.1038/nbt1325. PMID 17704766. 
  16. ↑ Koumoutsi, A.; Chen, X.H.; Henne, A.; Liesegang, H.; Hitzeroth, G.; Franke, P.; Vater, J.; Borriss, R. (2004). "Structural and functional characterisation of gene clusters directing nonribosomal synthesis of bioactive cyclic lipopeptides". Journal of Bacteriology 186 (4): 1084–1096. doi:10.1128/JB.186.4.1084-1096.2004. PMID 14762003. 
  17. ↑ Idris, E.S.E.; Iglesias, D.J.; Talon, M.; Borriss, R. (2007). "Tryptophan-dependent production of indole-3-acetic acid affects plant growth promotion". Molecular Plant–Microbe Interactions 20 (6): 619–626. doi:10.1094/MPMI-20-6-0619. PMID 17555270. 
  18. ↑ Fan, B.; Blom, J.; Klenk, H.P.; Borriss, R. (2017). "Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, and Bacillus siamensis form an operational group". Frontiers in Microbiology 8: 22. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00022. PMID 28163698. 



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