13.01.2026 From Field to Lab – The Journey of Tree-M Oak Leaf Bacteria

Insights into the LOEWE Research Cluster Tree-M

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Video: Ramona Zülch Which bacteria live on oak leaves, and how do they shape their environment? The LOEWE research cluster Tree-M explores the leaf microbiome of oak trees—from field sampling to laboratory analyses—to uncover how microbial communities influence plants, insects, and ecosystems.

A short film by Ramona Zülch © takes you from Quercus robur leaves in the Marburg Open Forest near Caldern to the lab bench – tracing their bacterial communities, building isolate libraries, and exploring how these microbes might influence leaf traits and caterpillar feeding.