Understanding biological processes requires a combination of cell biology and biochemistry to see molecular functions in a cellular context. After an era dominated by sequencing, uncovering protein functions will now be critical in order to understand biology also at a systems level. I am aiming at providing practical knowledge to address molecular functions in a cellular context, e.g. in the regulation metabolism or in organelles. I am teaching general Biochemistry (3h) as well as Plant Biochemistry and Metabolism and Cellular Organization in Molecular Plant Biology and Molecular Plant Physiology, an advanced Biochemistry seminar, and literature- and project planning seminars as well as the basic biochemistry laboratory course.
My lab investigates molecular mechanisms of cellular acclimation to environmental changes in plants and algae, particularly protein kinase- and calcium-mediated signalling pathways to stress. We study calcium-signalling and regulation of metabolism and the role of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) in stress acclimation at various levels ranging from regulation of membrane proteins (Mehlmer et al., 2010; Latz et al., 2013), soluble enzymes (Lambeck et al., 2010; Rietz et al., 2010) to metabolic adjustment by regulation of transcription (Mair et al., 2015; Pedrotti et al., 2018). More recently also organellar signalling came into focus of our work (Stael et al., 2012; Wurzinger et al., 2018).
Studies of Chemistry at the University of Hannover (DE), 1995 PhD in Biochemistry on regulation of Calvin-cycle enzymes (IPK Gatersleben, DE), 1995-1996 Humboldt fellow at UT Southwestern (Dallas, TX, USA), 1998-2000 Marie Curie fellow at the University of Vienna, 2000-2004 Senior postdoc on MAP kinase signalling and stress responses in plants, 2002 Habilitation in Biochemistry, since 2004 self-funded group leader at the University of Vienna with projects on Ca2+ dependent protein kinases and organellar signalling.
orcid.org/0000-0001-7204-1379 ResearcherID: R-6443-2016