In April 2021, the Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) established the Priority Programme “Emergent Functions of Bacterial Multicellularity” (SPP 2389). The programme is designed to run for six years. The present call invites proposals for the second three-year funding period.

Differentiated, transiently stable bacterial consortia are widely distributed and exhibit astounding multicellular traits that go way beyond what their unicellular state could explain. This includes:

1. the tissue-like biophysical properties of biofilms and colonies, 
2. the ways in which bacterial cells are connected with each other to exchange, communicate, synchronise and coordinate their efforts, and 
3. multicellular traits and behaviours that cannot occur in planktonic cells, such as programmed cell death, spatial signalling and spatial metabolism. Identifying and characterising these emergent multicellular functions are at the centre of this Priority Programme. 

The SPP 2389 will focus on two central aspects:

• the physiological benefits and molecular mechanisms of the emergent functions as the driving forces of bacterial multicellularity
• the architecture, dynamics and biophysical properties of the multicellular forms as the structural framework from which a multicellular function can emerge

“Form” and “function” are tightly interwoven aspects of bacterial multicellularity, which show an intricate interdependence, as they are both a precondition for, as well as a consequence of each other. Unravelling these interdependencies and identifying general principles of bacterial multicellularity requires a novel approach, which consists of investigating bacterial filaments and microbial tissues by using a combination of highly resolving experimental methodologies (such as time-resolved 3D live cell imaging, imaging mass spectroscopy, multi-parameter flow cytometry) in concert with modern data analysis and conceptual theory and modelling. These innovative approaches in combination with expertise from microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, biophysics and mathematics will generate the required multilateral synergies and mutual enrichment that will put the members of this initiative in a position to dissect and study functions and forms of bacterial multicellularity with single-cell resolution within the 1D to 3D confinements of bacterial filaments, biofilms and tissues. 

Based on the above, suitable projects are characterised by the combination of three aspects that will often necessitate collaborative efforts and include 

1. investigating a biological trait that is truly and exclusively multicellular, 
2. focusing either on the multicellular form, that is, molecular/mechanistic aspects of bacterial tissues and filaments, or 
3. focusing on the emergent multicellular function, to understand the fitness gain and purpose in light of the extra energy cost that maintaining the differentiated multicellular state requires. 

Single cell analyses using multidimensional approaches are desirable to allow the modelling of correlations and interactions by high dimensional regression/statistics, network analyses or individual-based modelling. Collaborative (tandem) proposals with two PIs are highly encouraged to tightly interlink a multicellular behaviour with technology development and/or modelling of the resulting high-dimensional data. To promote interdisciplinary collaborations and ensure conceptual coherence of this programme, projects need to meet all of the following criteria:

• A focus on spatially structured bacterial communities, with a goal of understanding community dynamics, intercellular interactions and environmental impact.
• A focus on multicellular functions that are beneficial for the communal lifestyle. These functions need to be known at the beginning of the project.
• Projects need to aim at a molecular understanding of multicellular traits. The underlying hypotheses derive from mechanistic, physiological, ecological or evolutionary questions.
• The microorganisms need to be genetically tractable. 

For this second funding period, preference will be given to projects aiming at resolving (near) macroscopic traits of bacterial multicellularity in time and space at (close to) single-cell level. Technology-/theory-driven projects qualify if the above applies (ideally in tandem projects with experimental collaborators). Projects that (i) are purely descriptive, (ii) emphasise the eukaryotic host (e.g. in the medical context), or (iii) are in the context of communal phenotypic heterogeneity, but lack an experimentally described emergent multicellular function do not qualify.

Proposals must be written in English and submitted to the DFG by 31 March 2025. Please note that proposals can only be submitted via elan, the DFG’s electronic proposal processing system. 

Applicants must be registered in elan prior to submitting a proposal to the DFG. If you have not yet registered, please note that you must do so by 21 March 2025 to submit a proposal under this call; registration requests received after this time cannot be considered. You will normally receive confirmation of your registration by the next working day. Note that you will be asked to select the appropriate Priority Programme call during both the registration and the proposal process. 

If you wish to submit a proposal for a new project within the existing Priority Programme, please go to Proposal Submission – New Project – Priority Programmes and select “SPP 2389” from the current list of calls. Previous applicants can submit a proposal for the renewal of an existing project under Proposal Submission – Proposal Overview/Renewal Proposal. 

When preparing your proposal, please review the programme guidelines (DFG form 50.05, section B, see link below) and follow the proposal preparation instructions (DFG form 54.01, see link below). These forms can either be downloaded from our website or accessed through the elan portal. 

The review colloquium for the Priority Programme will be held on 10 and 11 June 2025 in Dresden.

The DFG strongly welcomes proposals from researchers of all genders and sexual identities, from different ethnic, cultural, religious, ideological or social backgrounds, from different career stages, types of universities and research institutions, and with disabilities or chronic illness. With regard to the subject-specific focus of this call, the DFG encourages female researchers in particular to submit proposals.

Further Information

More information on the Priority Programme is available at:

• https://tu-dresden.de/mn/biologie/allgemeine_mikrobiologie/spp2389?set_language=en

The elan system can be accessed at:

• https://elan.dfg.de/en

DFG forms 50.05 and 54.01 can be downloaded at:

• www.dfg.de/formulare/50_05
• www.dfg.de/formulare/54_01

For scientific enquiries please contact the Priority Programme coordinator:

• Professor Dr. Thorsten Mascher, Technische Universität Dresden, Chair of General Microbiology, 01062 Dresden, phone +49 351 46340420, thorsten.mascher@tu-dresden.de 

Questions on the DFG proposal process can be directed to:

• Programme contact: Dr. Regina Nickel, phone +49 228 885-2032, regina.nickel@dfg.de 
• Administrative contact: Sabrina Florin, phone +49 228 885-2390, sabrina.florin@dfg.de