1. Development of highly efficient systems for genetic transformation, recombinant gene expression and genome editing for some industrial fungi (Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Cordyceps militaris, Monascus purpureus, …) to generate hyper-producing mutants for enzymes/ proteins and bioactive substances.
2. Application of biotechnological advances to investigate molecular mechanism of plant infection by fungal pathogens and to produce new microbial products for efficiently controlling these phytopathogens.
3. Exploitation of genome databases and molecular biology tools for hybridization to create novel strains of the medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris with high yields of fruiting body formation.
1. Seema Singh, Susanna A Braus-Stromeyer, Christian Timpner, Van Tuan Tran, Gertrud Lohaus, Michael Reusche, Jessica Knüfer, Thomas Teichmann, Andreas von Tiedemann, Gerhard H Braus (2010). Silencing of Vlaro2 for chorismate synthase revealed that the phytopathogen Verticillium longisporum induces the cross-pathway control in the xylem. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 85: 1961 - 1976.
2. Van Tuan Tran, Susanna A Braus-Stromeyer, Christian Timpner, Gerhard H Braus (2013). Molecular diagnosis to discriminate pathogen and apathogen species of the hybrid Verticillium longisporum on the oilseed crop Brassica napus. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 97: 4467 - 4483.
3. Christian Timpner, Susanna A Braus-Stromeyer, Van Tuan Tran, Gerhard H Braus (2013). The Cpc1 regulator of the cross-pathway control of amino acid biosynthesis is required for pathogenicity of the vascular pathogen Verticillium longisporum. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 26: 1312 - 1324.
4. Van-Tuan Tran, Susanna A Braus-Stromeyer, Harald Kusch, Michael Reusche, Alexander Kaever, Anika Kuhn, Oliver Valerius, Manuel Landesfeind, Kathrin Abhauer, Maike Tech, Katharina Hoff, Tonatiuh Pena-Centeno, Mario Stanke, Volker Lipka, Gerhard H Braus (2014). Verticillium transcription activator of adhesion Vta2 suppresses microsclerotia formation and is required for systemic infection of plant roots. New Phytologist 202: 565-581.
5. Clara E Hoppenau, Van-Tuan Tran, Harald Kusch, Kathrin P Abhauer, Manuel Landesfeind, Peter Meinicke, Blagovesta Popova, Susanna A Braus-Stromeyer, Gerhard H Braus (2014). Verticillium dahliae VdTH14, involved in thiazole biosynthesis, stress response and DNA repair functions, is required for vascular disease induction in tomato. Environmental and Experimental Botany 108: 14-22.
6. Michael Reusche, Jekaterina Truskina, Karin Thole, Leonhard Nagel, Sören Rindfleisch, Van Tuan Tran, Susanna A. Braus-Stromeyer, Gerhard H. Braus, Thomas Teichmann, Volker Lipka (2014). Infections with the vascular pathogens Verticillium longisporum and Verticillium dahliae induce distinct disease symptoms and differentially affect drought stress tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana. Environmental and Experimental Botany 108: 23-37.
7. Chi-Jan Lin, Christoph Sasse, Jenifer Gerke, Oliver Valerius, Henriette Irmer, Holm Frauendorf, Thorsten Heinekamp, Maria Strabburger, Van Tuan Tran, Britta Herzog, Susana A Braus-Stromeyer, Gerhard H Braus (2015). Transcription factor SomA is required for adhesion, development and virulence of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Pathogens 11(11): e1005205.
8. Khuyen Thi Nguyen, Quynh Ngoc Ho, Thu Ha Pham, Tuan-Nghia Phan, Van-Tuan Tran (2016). The construction and use of versatile binary vectors carrying pyrG auxotrophic marker and fluorescent reporter genes for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Aspergillus oryzae. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 32(12): 204.
9. Van Tuan Tran, Thi Binh Xuan Loc Do, Thi Khuyen Nguyen, Xuan Tao Vu, Bich Ngoc Dao, Hoai Ha Nguyen (2017). A simple, efficient and universal method for the extraction of genomic DNA from bacteria, yeasts, molds and microalgae suitable for PCR-based applications. Vietnam Journal of Science, Technology and Engineering 59(4): 66-74.
10. Khuyen Thi Nguyen, Quynh Ngoc Ho, Loc Thi Binh Xuan Do, Linh Thi Dam Mai, Duc-Ngoc Pham, Huyen Thi Thanh Tran, Diep Hong Le, Huy Quang Nguyen, Van-Tuan Tran (2017). A new and efficient approach for construction of uridine/uracil auxotrophic mutants in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 33(6): 107.
11. Tao Xuan Vu, Tho Tien Ngo, Linh Thi Dam Mai, Tri-Thuc Bui, Diep Hong Le, Ha Thi Viet Bui, Huy Quang Nguyen, Binh Xuan Ngo, Van-Tuan Tran (2018). A highly efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system for the postharvest pathogen Penicillium digitatum using DsRed and GFP to visualize citrus host colonization. Journal of Microbiological Methods 144:134-144.
12. Bui TT, Harting R, Braus-Stromeyer SA, Tran VT, Leonard M, Höfer A, Abelmann A, Bakti F, Valerius O, Schlüter R, Stanley CE, Ambrósio A, Braus GH (2019). Verticillium dahliae transcription factors Som1 and Vta3 control microsclerotia formation and sequential steps of plant root penetration and colonisation to induce disease. New Phytologist 221(4):2138-2159.
13. Sun Y, Niu Y, He B, Ma L, Li G, Tran VT, Zeng B, Hu Z (2019). A dual selection marker transformation system using Agrobacterium tumefaciens for the industrial Aspergillus oryzae 3.042. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 29(2):230-234
14. Sun Y, Niu Y, Huang H, He B, Ma L, Tu Y, Tran VT, Zeng B, Hu Z (2019). Mevalonate Diphosphate Decarboxylase MVD/Erg19 Is Required for Ergosterol Biosynthesis, Growth, Sporulation and Stress Tolerance in Aspergillus oryzae. Frontiers in Microbiology 10:1074.
15. Vu TX, Vu HH, Nguyen GT, Vu HT, Mai LTD, Pham DN, Le DH, Nguyen HQ, Tran VT (2019). A newly constructed Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system revealed the influence of nitrogen sources on the function of the LaeA regulator in Penicillium chrysogenum. Fungal Biology 123(11):830-842.
16. Harting R, Höfer A, Tran VT, Weinhold LM, Barghahn S, Schlüter R, Braus GH (2020). The Vta1 transcriptional regulator is required for microsclerotia melanization in Verticillium dahliae. Fungal Biology (in press), doi: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.01.007.