Research

Michel Rohmer is a specialist of the chemistry and biochemistry of microorganisms (protozoa, unicellular algae, fungi) and plants, especially in the field of isoprenoid biosynthesis (labeling experiments, enzymology, enzyme inhibitors). The main research topics cover the chemistry and biochemistry of a hitherto unknown family of microbial lipids, the biohopanoids. These triterpenoids acting as bacterial sterol surrogates occur in numerous taxa, revealing extraordinarily diverse structures. They are the precursors of widespread biomarkers found in the organic matter of all sediments, independently of their nature, age or origin. His major contribution is the discovery of the completely overlooked, mevalonate-independent methylerythritol phosphate pathway for the formation of isoprene units. This new metabolic pathway was revealed by biosynthetic studies on the hopane series. It is of widespread occurrence: it is the major pathway towards isoprenoids in bacteria and is present in the plastids of all phototrophic organisms (plants, algae) and related taxa.