Research

Hauptarbeitsgebiete:

Chemie proteolytischer Reaktionen (organisch-chemische Untersuchungen an den Peptidsubstraten der Proteasen und an spezifischen Proteasen, Katalysemechanismus für Serinproteasen, Inaktivierung von Serin- und Cysteinproteasen, prolinspezifische Proteasen)

Anwendungen von Enzymen für labordiagnostische Fragestellungen

Trägerfixierte Enzyme

Proteinfaltung (Prolinchemie, Entdeckung einer neuartigen Klasse konformationsumwandelnder Enzyme, der Peptidyl-Prolyl-cis/trans-Isomerasen)

Career

• 1997-2011 Managing Director of the Max Planck Research Unit for Enzymology of Protein Folding, Halle (Saale), Germany
• since 1992 Full Professor of Molecular Biochemistry at the Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Halle, Germany
• 1992-1997 Group Leader of the Max Planck Research Group “Enzymology of the Peptide Bond”
• 1990 Visiting Professor at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Germany
• 1989-1990 Head of the Department of Biochemistry, University of Halle, Germany
• 1987-1988 Researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology of the GERMED Pharmaceutical Company, Berlin, Germany
• 1979 Habilitation and facultas docendi of Biochemistry; Habilitation thesis: “The biochemical view of the amide group reactivity”
• 1971-1987 Independent scientific assistant at the University of Halle, Department of Bioscience, Germany
• 1967-1971 Ph.D., University of Halle, Institute of Biochemistry, Germany; Ph.D. thesis: “Investigations on structure and reactivity of alpha-keto acids and alpha-keto amides”
• 1962-1967 Diploma degree (Master Thesis), University of Halle, Institute of Organic Chemistry (Prof. Wolfgang Langenbeck), Germany
• 1949-1962 Basic school, high school, practical education at Leuna Chemical Company (Merseburg, Germany); Certificate of Proficiency in Chemical Productions

Functions

• 2000-2010 Vice President of the German Academy of Science Leopoldina, which was appointed the German National Academy of Sciences, Halle (Saale), in 2008
• since 1999 Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society
• 1996-1999 Member of the Committee and Vice President of the Society of German Chemists (GDCh)
• 1996-1998 Elected member of the Senate of the University of Halle, Germany
• since 1994 Associate Editor of “Biological Chemistry”
• since 1994 Ad hoc referee for various granting agencies (Volkswagen Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Fonds of the Chemical Industry)
• since 1994 Ad hoc referee for various journals (Cell, Science, Journal of the American Chemical Society, European Journal of Biochemistry, Molecular Microbiology, FEBS Letters, Biochemical Journal, EMBO Journal, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Molecular Biology, Angewandte Chemie)
• 1992-2000 Elected Member for Biochemistry of the Reviewing Board of the German Research Foudnation (DFG)
• 1992-1995 German Board Member of the HFSPO (Human Frontier Science Program) grant review commitee
• 1991-2002 Standing member of the Research Board of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)

Honours and Memberships

• 2013 Cothenius Medal of the Leopoldina
• 2002 Fritz Lipmann Lecture of the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM)
• 2002 Max Bergmann Medal of the Max Bergmann Society
• 1993 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
• 1993 Member of the German Academy of Science Leopoldina
• 1991 Boehringer Ingelheim Lecture Tour
• 1990 Lecturer Grant of the Chemical Industry Fund
• 1990 Karl Lohmann Medal of the Biochemical Society of the GDR
• 1990 Full member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities