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Beyond solid understanding of the fundamental biological and physical-chemical principles, modern molecular biology requires students to quickly become a part of the research enterprise. My goal is to both equip the students with a solid knowledge and wide range of the contemporary experimental strategies as well as help them learn to plan, perform, critically analyze and interpret the current research. Continuous progress is the defining character of modern science, and I seek to instill into students the feeling of personal involvement with the curiosity-driven, inquisitive nature of the actual research projects in the institute.
Coordinated assembly, localization and precise regulation of enzymatic activities define the fidelity of cellular responses to signals from the environment. Yet, how exactly the cells control enzymatic activities in space and time to ensure the adaptive character of cellular signaling remains unclear. In the lab, we are studying the biochemical architecture of signaling networks controlled by protein kinases Akt and mTOR. We are trying to understand how these key enzymes orchestrate cellular anabolic pathways, and how their disregulation can lead to human disease, such as diabetes or cancer. To address these questions, we use a combination of biochemical and advanced imaging techniques and develop tools to visualize and manipulate the localization and activity of signaling enzymes in live cells.
Ivan received his PhD from the University of Heidelberg for his studies of enzymatic regulation in live cells with Philippe Bastiaens at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). His postdoctoral work with Ron Vale at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) further developed his interest in visualizing cellular signaling. Ivan continues his studies of intracellular enzymology as a group leader at the Max Perutz Labs since 2012.
Nutrient-regulated control of lysosome function by signaling lipid conversion
Shedding Light on the Dark Side of Terrestrial Ecosystems: Assessing Biogeochemical Processes in Soils
Protein homeostasis and lifelong cell maintenance
Dissecting the turgor sensing mechanisms in the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae
Pikobodies: What does it take to bioengineer NLR immune receptor-nanobody fusions
When all is lost? Measuring historical signals
Gene regulatory mechanisms governing human development, evolution and variation
Regulation of Cerebral Cortex Morphogenesis by Migrating Cells
Phage therapy for treating bacterial infections: a double-edged sword
Suckers and segments of the octopus arm
Using the house mouse radiation to study the rapid evolution of genes and genetic processes
CRISPR jumps ahead: mechanistic insights into CRISPR-associated transposons
SLiMs and SHelMs: Decoding how short linear and helical motifs direct PPP specificity to direct signaling
Title to be announced
Visualising mitotic chromosomes and nuclear dynamics by correlative light and electron microscopy
Enigmatic evolutionary origin and multipotency of the neural crest cells - major drivers of vertebrate evolution
Engineered nanocarriers for imaging of small proteins by CryoEM
Bacterial cell envelope homeostasis at the (post)transcriptional level
Title to be announced
Hydrologic extremes alter mechanisms and pathways of carbon export from mountainous floodplain soils
Dissecting post-transcriptional gene expression regulation in humans and viruses
Polyploidy and rediploidisation in stressful times
Prdm9 control of meiotic synapsis of homologs in intersubspecific hybrids
Title to be announced
RNA virus from museum specimens
Programmed DNA double-strand breaks during meiosis: Mechanism and evolution
Title to be announced