LMU Munich

LMU Munich’s team is based at the Institute of Medical Psychology and led by Prof. Martha Merrow. Her lab focuses on molecular chronobiology, investigating how circadian clocks function in mammals and synchronize with environmental time cues. Within the MicroClock project, the LMU team explores the molecular and physiological mechanisms that govern biological timing in humans and other organisms.

Team

Martha Merrow

Principal Investigator

My career has taken me from the US (Middlebury, Tufts and Dartmouth) to Germany (LMU Munich) to the Netherlands (Groningen) and back to Germany (LMU Munich) again. My chronobiology research is mainly focused on using entrainment of the circadian clock to uncover new behaviours and mechanisms. In Microclock, we come back to this principle, in the context of Bacillus subtilis, a new clock model system.

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Astrid Bauer

Medical Technical Assistant

Eva Bastida

Postdoctoral Researcher

Eva Bastida holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Murcia, Spain, and brings expertise in bacterial signal transduction, stress responses, and gene regulation. Her earlier research identified novel stress regulators in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus and revealed a role for plasmalogens in oxidative stress signaling. At MicroClock, she explores the basic molecular mechanisms of the Bacillus subtilis circadian clock.

Sonia Viteri

Administrative Coordinator

Sonia Viteri serves as the administrative coordinator for the MicroClock project at LMU Munich. She oversees the day-to-day management of the ERC Synergy Grant, supporting communication and collaboration between partner institutions, and ensuring smooth coordination of project timelines and deliverables. With a background in marketing, project coordination, and academic administration, she brings strong organizational skills to the scientific environment of MicroClock.

Borja Ferrero

Project Collaboration

Borja is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in microbial systems biology. His early work explored biotechnological applications, while his current focus lies in microbial chronobiology—specifically the regulatory networks behind bacterial circadian clocks.

Combining high-throughput omics approaches such as proteomics and transcriptomics with computational modeling, Borja investigates how timekeeping mechanisms operate in bacteria. He also applies advanced fermentation techniques, including chemostat-based cultivation, to design long-term experiments that enable precise monitoring of circadian rhythms.

Beyond the lab, Borja develops bioinformatics tools for data analysis and contributes to teaching and scientific communication.