Research interests:
I am interested in the transition from unicellular to multicellular life styles and in the biophysics of multicellular systems itself. So far I studied the quantitative biology of cellular and acellular slime molds as well as the fluid transport in the mammalian ventricular system, which is mediated by thousands of ciliated cells. In the Hallatschek lab, I will continue in this research field by studying the development of the most abundant multicellular life style of bacteria, the prokaryotic biofilm.
Career:
- 2021: Postdoc with Oskar Hallatschek, University of Leipzig, Germany and University of California, Berkeley, USA
- 2016-2021: PostDoc, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Selforganization, Göttingen, Germany
- 2013-2015: PostDoc, Institute for Plant Biology, University of Graz, Austria
- 2007-2012: PhD in physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Selforganization // University of Göttingen, Germany
- 2007: Research assistant, Technical chemistry, University of Rostock, Germany
- 2006: Diploma in Biology, University of Rostock, Germany
Selected publications:
Cilia-driven flows in the brain third ventricle.
G. Eichele, E. Bodenschatz, Z. Ditte, A-K. Günther, S. Kapoor, Y. Wang and C. Westendorf
Phil. Trans. of the Royal Society B, 375(1792), 20190154 (2019)
Quantitative comparison of plasmodial migration and oscillatory properties across different slime molds.
C. Westendorf, C.J. Gruber, K. Schnitzer, S. Kraker and M. Grube
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 51(34), 344001 (2018)
From mouth to model: Combining in vivo and in vitro oral biofilm growth.
B. Klug, E. Santigli, C. Westendorf, S. Tangl, G. Wimmer and M. Grube
Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, 1448 (2016)
Cilia-based flow network in the brain ventricles.
R. Faubel, C. Westendorf, E. Bodenschatz and G. Eichele
Science, 353, 176-178 (2016)
Actin cytoskeleton of chemotactic amoeba operates close to the onset of oscillations.
C. Westendorf, J. Negrete Jr., A. Bae, R. Sandmann, E. Bodenschatz and C. Beta
PNAS, 110(10), 3853–3858 (2013)
Quorum-sensing effects in the antagonistic rhizosphere bacterium Serratia plymuthica HRO-C48.
H. Mueller, C. Westendorf, E. Leitner, L. Chernin, K. Riedel, S. Schmidt, L. Eberl, G. Berg
FEMS Microbiol Ecol, 67, 468–478c (2009) [F1000Prime recommended]
Links:
A full list of my articles and their respective citations can be found in my Google Scholar profile.