Research

Mitochondria are organelles which synthesize ATP and heme for the eukaryotic cell. In 1999 we discovered that their essential and minimal function is the synthesis of iron-sulfur clusters and their insertion into apoproteins. Iron-sulfur clusters are inorganic protein cofactors with essential functions in electron transport, enzyme catalysis and the regulation of gene expression. Failure to assemble Fe/S proteins may lead to human disease. We study the molecular mechanisms underlying the assembly of these cofactors in the entire cell.