Luis Linares-Otoya started as Junior Professor of Microbiology at Saarland University

Luis Linares-Otoya started as Junior Professor of Microbiology at Saarland University on 1 August 2026. A particular focus of his research group is the bacterial phylum Bacteroidota. Members of this large and diverse group inhabit many natural environments and are also among the most abundant bacteria in the human gut. Despite their ecological and medical importance, fundamental aspects of their biology remain poorly understood. Linares-Otoya’s previous work includes the discovery of the first class of chemical communication molecules identified in this bacterial group, known as N-acyl cyclolysines. These molecules enable bacteria to detect and respond to members of their own population. The findings were published in the journal Nature in 2025.

At Saarland University, Luis Linares-Otoya and his team will investigate molecular systems that bacteria use to sense the environment, communicate, cooperate, compete with other bacteria, and interact with their hosts. By studying these processes in poorly characterised bacterial groups such as Bacteroidota, his research group aims to uncover previously unknown mechanisms that operate in natural microbial communities and the human microbiome. Beyond advancing fundamental knowledge, this research may reveal new molecules, enzymes, and biological systems with potential applications in biotechnology and drug discovery.

Originally from Peru, Luis Linares-Otoya completed his master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Bonn. During his doctoral research, he investigated the biosynthesis of biologically active small molecules produced by bacteria. After research positions at Justus Liebig University Giessen and the National University of Trujillo in Peru, he joined the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University in the United States, studying the molecular mechanisms through which bacteria interact in the human microbiome and marine environments. 

In Saarbrücken, Luis Linares-Otoya will establish an interdisciplinary research programme combining multi-omics, synthetic biology, microbiology, biochemistry, structural biology, and bioinformatics to gain a mechanistic understanding of bacterial interactions.