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Prof. Dr.

Robert Huber

Nobelpreis für Chemie 1988

Year of election: 1990
Section: Biochemistry and Biophysics
City: Martinsried
Country: Germany
CV Robert Huber - German (PDF)
CV Robert Huber - English (PDF)

Research

Research Priorities: Protein structures, photosynthetic reaction centre, photosynthesis, crystal structures, X-ray crystallography, immune molecules, proteases, drug design programmes

Robert Huber is a German chemist, working primarily on research into protein structures. In 1988 he received, jointly with the German biophysicist Johann Deisenhofer and the German biochemist Hartmut Michel, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for decoding the three-dimensional structure of the photosynthetic reaction centre of purple bacteria. With their work, the researchers have provided fundamental insights into photosynthesis.

Robert Huber and his colleagues were able to crystallise the reaction centre of the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis (Blastochloris viridis). It was the first ever membrane protein complex of which the atomic structure could be analysed by X-ray crystallography. From the results of this research it has been possible to explain how plant cells store energy from the sun. It was also possible to apply the result to plants, as the photosynthetic reaction centre of the bacterium has almost the same structure as higher plants.

In the 1970s Robert Huber set up the first protein crystallography laboratory in Germany and, using X-ray crystallography, has been able to reveal more than 100 protein structures over the years, including proteins of the immune system and of energy and electron transfer. A further priority of his scientific research has been the development of new analytical instruments and methods. As Emeritus of the Group “Structure Research” at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, he mainly studies proteases and immune molecules and works in the field of drug research on “drug design” programmes for the development of new active substances.

Career

  • since 2013 Emeritus of Excellence, Technical University of Munich (TU), Munich, Germany
  • 2007 Visiting Professor, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  • since 2005 Head, Emeritus Group “Structure Research”, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
  • 2005 Visiting Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
  • 2001 Visiting Professor, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • 1976 Adjunct Professor, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
  • 1972-2005 Scientific Member and Director, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
  • 1968 Habilitation, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
  • 1963 Doctorate, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
  • 1960 Degree in Chemistry, TU Munich, Munich, Germany

Functions

  • President, Board of Trustees, Peter and Traudl Engelhorn Foundation for the Advancement of Life Sciences, Weilheim, Germany
  • since 2011 Member, Strategy Board, Hamburg School of Food Science, Hamburg, Germany
  • since 2007 Member, University Council, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
  • 2005 Co-Founder and Advisor, SuppreMol GmbH, Martinsried, Germany
  • 1997 Co-Founder and Advisor, Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Planegg, Germany

Projects

  • 2003 Head, Subproject “Crystal structures of proteinases as a starting point for the rational design of inhibitors”, SFB 469, DFG
  • 2001-2004 Head, Subproject “HsiVU and the proteasome-associated ATPases”, SFB 594, DFG
  • 2000-2002 Head, Subproject “Crystal structures of proteinases as a starting point for the rational design of inhibitors”, SFB 469, DFG
  • 1998-2003 Head, Subproject “Structure and function of mutants of the 20S proteasome from S. cerevisae”, Priority Programme (SPP) 1045, DFG
  • 1998-2003 Head, Subproject “Structural characterisation of regulatory proteins of the cytoskeleton”, SFB 413, DFG
  • 1997-2005 Head, Subproject “Structural flexibility of phycobiliprotein complexes”, SFB 533, DFG

 

Honours and Memberships

  • 2012 Honorary President and Chief Scientific Advisor, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine, Tianjin, China
  • 2011 Order of “Manuel Amador Guerrero”, Republic of Panama
  • 2009 Honorary Director, Nobel Life Science Research Center, Foshan, China
  • 2009 Erice Prize Premio Ettore Majorana, Electronic Journal of Theoretical Physics, Italy
  • 2009 Distinguished Research Chair Professor, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 2005 Lotte Distinguished Professorship, Seoul National University, South Korea
  • 2004 Prize of the City of Florence for Molecular Sciences (Premio Città di Firenze sulle Scienze Molecolari), Florence, Italy
  • 2004 Roentgen Medal, Remscheid-Lennep, Germany
  • 1997 Grand Cross of Merit with Star and Sash, Federal Republic of Germany
  • 1997 Max Bergmann Medal, Max-Bergmann-Kreis zur Förderung der peptidchemischen Forschung (society for the advancement of peptide chemical research), Bielefeld, Germany
  • 1997 Max Tishler Prize, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
  • 1995 The Distinguished Service Award, Miami Winter Symposia, International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • 1993/94 Linus Pauling Award, American Chemical Society, USA
  • 1993 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art, Germany
  • 1993 Order Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts, Federal President, Germany
  • 1992 Sir Hans Krebs Medal, Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)
  • 1991 Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship, Mrs. Hanna Lemberg and Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australia
  • 1990 Kone Award, Association of Clinical Biochemists, UK
  • since 1990 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
  • 1989 Memorial Medal, E.K. Frey - E. Werle Foundation of the Henning L. Voigt Family, Munich, Germany
  • 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden
  • 1987 Richard Kuhn Medal, German Chemical Society, Germany
  • 1987 Keilin Medal, Biochemical Society, London, UK
  • 1982 Emil von Behring Medal, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
  • 1977 Otto Warburg Medal, German Society for Biochemistry (since 1996: German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • 1972 E.K. Frey Medal, German Society of Surgery, Germany
  • Honorary Member, American Society of Biological Chemists, USA
  • Member, Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Germany
  • Member, German Chemical Society, Germany
  • Member, German Society for Biochemistry, Germany
  • Honorary Member, The Swedish Society for Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Sweden
  • Member, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Honorary Member, Japanese Biochemical Society, Japan
  • Member, European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities
  • Member, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy
  • Associate Member, Third World Academy of Sciences (since 2004: The World Academy of Sciences)
  • Foreign Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
  • Member, American Academy of Microbiology, USA
  • Foreign Member, Royal Society, UK
  • Foreign Member, Indian National Science Academy, India
  • Honorary Member, Sociedad Espanola de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Spain
  • Foreign Member, Korean Academy of Science and Technology, South Korea

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