Research

My research is focussed on structural biology and metabolomics to solve questions in molecular biology and medicine by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. In parallel, we additionally employ a diverse range of biochemical, biomolecular and bioinformatics techniques to develop a comprehensive understanding of the studied systems. To understand cellular processes on a molecular level the 3D structures of the respective proteins have to be known. NMR spectroscopy is a versatile technique both for elaborate structure determination and for fast interaction studies e.g. for ligand screening. We have studied a diverse range of proteins with the aim to understand how protein function is related to structure and dynamics. Current main activities of my lab centre on the interplay between structure and dynamics of transmembrane helices and on the function of Bag1, a molecular chaperone regulator that is involved in prostate cancer regulation.

Metabolomics studies evolved as second key aspect of my lab in recent years. Here we aim to establish NMR spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool e. g. for the detection of acute or permanent kidney failure in collaboration with the university hospital Heidelberg or the clinics at Karlsruhe.

Professional Career

since 10/2010              Group Leader biological NMR spectroscopy, Institute for biological interfaces 4

2011 – 2013                Privatdozent for Biochemistry and Biophysics, Heidelberg university, Germany

2007 – 2010                Group Leader liquid state NMR spectroscopy, Institute for biological interfaces 2

2004 – 2007                Emmy-Noether Junior Research Group Leader Max-Planck-Institute for medical research                                                                 Heidelberg, Germany and team leader EMBL Heidelberg, Germany

2000 – 2004                Emmy-Noether Junior Research Group Leader university clinic Mannheim, Germany and team leader                                               EMBL Heidelberg, Germany

1999 – 2000                Postdoc at the EMBL Heidelberg, Germany with Dr. Michael Nilges

1996 – 1998                Postdoc at the Institute de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France with Dr. Dominique Marion

Scientific Activities, Honors, Awards

present                        Member of the German Society of Chemists (NMR subgroup)

2000 – 2007                Emmy-Noether-Fellowship of the DFG (German National Funding Agency)

1996-1998                  EMBO Postdoctorate Grant

1992-1996                  EMBL Predoctorate Grant

Publications