A Farewell to Tristan Wagner and the Microbial Metabolism Group

Tristan Wagner joined the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in October 2018, establishing and leading the Max-Planck Research Group Microbial Metabolism. Since then, he and his team focused their research on the molecular understanding of methanogenic archaea, acetogenic bacteria, and anaerobic alkanotrophs – organisms that offer unique insights into early life on Earth and promising avenues for future biotechnological applications. Their research has yielded numerous publications in renowned journals. Moreover, Wagner won an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2023 for the project EnLightEn, targeting the microbial transformation of carbon in anaerobic microbes. Wagner’s work successfully bridged microbial physiology, biochemistry, and structural biology, advancing our knowledge of energy-limited metabolisms and extraordinary enzymatic reactions.

Beyond his scientific achievements, Tristan Wagner has been a committed mentor, an inspiring group leader, and a valued colleague, contributing greatly to the collaborative spirit of the institute. “This wonderful time by your side was not only a scientific adventure to hunt new enzymes, but it was also a journey to understand how microbes changed and still change our planet”, Wagner addresses his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute in Bremen. “Your investigation and hard work were an inspiration that led to the seminal idea for the ERC project, while your kind guidance and support enabled my group to reach its full potential. I am very proud of what we accomplished together, and I hope that we will maintain tight collaboration in the near future”.

The Max Planck Research Group Microbial Metabolism will officially close its doors on January 31,2026. Wagner will continue his work at the Institute of Structural Biology in Grenoble, France. We thank him sincerely for his lasting impact and wish him every success in his future endeavors.