Research Areas
Synthetic Chemistry
Synthetic Chemistry has developed into a central science that has significant impact on the progress of research in neighboring disciplines. The research activities at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Konstanz have a strong focus on Cellular Chemistry.
At the heart of this priority topic are (i) the generation of synthetic molecules that specifically interact with proteins and nucleic acids and modulate their structure and function, and (ii) the targeted manipulation of biomacromolecules including carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids. These approaches are of increasing importance for the elucidation and characterization of complex biological processes.
Research groups active in the area of Synthetic Chemistry:
Ulrich Groth http://www.ag-groth.chemie.uni-konstanz.de
Jörg Hartig http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/chemie/jhartig
Andreas Marx http://www.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/~agmarx
Stephan Mecking http://www.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/~agmeck
Valentin Wittmann http://www.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/~agwitt
Cellular Biochemistry
The human genome encodes by far fewer genes than expected. Therefore, a number of mechanisms have to be in place to maximize the usage of a limited number of genes accounting for the high plasticity of biological processes.
At the DNA/RNA level, such mechanisms include processes that increase the coding potential of the genome and control gene expression at a temporal and spatial level. At the protein level, various posttranslational mechanisms are in place that regulate folding, cellular localization, activity, and/or availability of a protein, often in a cell or tissue-specific manner. This priority topic studies the fate and function of selected proteins and the mechanisms involved in the control of fundamental cellular pathways.
Research groups active in the area of Cellular Biochemistry:
Iwona Adamska http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/pflanzenphysbiochem
Elke Deuerling http://www.biologie.uni-konstanz.de/deuerling
Peter Kroneck http://www.bioinorganics.uni-konstanz.de/
Peter Kroth http://www.uni-konstanz.de/algae
Christoph Mayer http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/research/Arbeitsgruppen/Boos/Homepage/home.html
Thomas Mayer http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/forsch/genetics/agtmayer/index.html
Bodo Philipp http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/schink/?cont=philipp&lang=en
Michael Przybylski http://www.uni-konstanz.de/agprzybylski/chemie
Martin Scheffner http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/scheffner
Bernhard Schink http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/schink
Biomedicine
This priority topic spans from the elucidation of basic pathological mechanisms in cells over the use of animal models of disease to the performance of small-scale clinical trials in volunteers.
One of the major unifying themes is the Chemical Biology of molecular recognition. This involves the specific interaction of endogenous biological structures with foreign, reactive or altered compounds, be these toxicants, drugs, pathogen-derived components, or proteins modified by posttranslational mechanisms.
Future progress in our understanding of molecular recognition events, but even more so in our ability to manipulate the molecular interface between cellular structures and exogenous or altered endogenous components requires a close cooperation between Chemistry and Biology.
Research groups active in the area of Biomedicine:
Alexander Bürkle http://gutenberg.biologie.uni-konstanz.de
Marcus Groettrup http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/research/Arbeitsgruppen/Groettrup/Homepage
Christoph Hauck http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/hauck
Marcel Leist http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/research/Arbeitsgruppen/Leist/Homepage
Albrecht Wendel http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/wendel
Biophysics
The biochemical and physiological function of proteins is intimately linked to their structure and their potential to interact with other molecules including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and other non-proteinaceous ligands.
Both structure/function relationships and protein/ligand interactions are studied within the framework of this priority topic by state-of-the-art technologies at the atomic level. Together with results obtained by molecular and cell biological approaches, the information derived from structural and dynamic investigations of macromolecules form the basis for an understanding of their function in living cells.
Research groups active in the area of Biophysics:
Hans-Jürgen Apell http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/Bio/apell/
Malte Drescher http://www.uni-konstanz.de/drescher
Heiko Möller http://www.nmr.uni-konstanz.de/
Wolfram Welte http://strucbio.biologie.uni-konstanz.de
Andreas Zumbusch http://www.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/~agzumbusch/
Computational Biology
In the past few years, a deluge of data has been generated by Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, and genomics laboratories which begun to outpace analytical capabilities. This resulted in the circumstance that analysis and not production of bioinformatics information is the bottleneck to scientific progress.
Novel methods, algorithms and computational resources are needed to effectively process this wealth of genomic and proteomic information to facilitate the ever increasing rate of progress in modern biomedical and basic science. Within this priority topic Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Molecular Bioinformatics, and Computational Methods are applied.
Research groups active in the area of Computational Biology:
Michael Berthold http://www.inf.uni-konstanz.de/~berthold
Ulrik Brandes http://www.inf.uni-konstanz.de/~brandes
Oliver Deussen http://graphics.uni-konstanz.de
Kay Diederichs http://strucbio.biologie.uni-konstanz.de
Thomas Exner http://www.tcd.uni-konstanz.de/
Shigehiro Kuraku http://www.evolutionsbiologie.uni-konstanz.de/index.php?section=88