To fully comprehend Biochemistry requires theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The Laboratory Course “Basic Techniques in Biochemistry” pursues this concept by introducing students into various methods used to follow enzymatic reactions, to isolate and separate proteins from biological materials and to determine the success of purification. Critically evaluating, interpreting and drawing conclusions from their own experimental results are essential parts of learning for the students. At the same time the course offers the opportunity to refresh and deepen the theoretical knowledge from introductory lectures. Having been part of the teaching staff for this course for more than 3 decades and through many modifications I’m grateful to continue passing on experimental skills and experience to future scientists.
Organelles provide diverse optimal environments for specific metabolic pathways in eukaryotic cells. Among these compartments peroxisomes participate in many metabolic processes, most notably the degradation of fatty acids and the glyoxylate cycle. Generation of peroxisomes from already existing ones or through a de novo biogenesis pathway is tightly regulated in agreement with the metabolic status of the cell and balanced by specific degradation processes. A network of interacting proteins guarantees the biogenesis of functional peroxisomes, the translocation of peroxisomal proteins across and into the peroxisomal membrane and the control of size, shape and number of these compartments. Employing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model organism our research interests were focused on the protein translocation mechanism into peroxisomes (Brocard et al., 1997; Neuberger et al., 2003), on the de novo biogenesis process, a feature unique for peroxisomes (Huber et al., 2012), and the communication of the glyoxylate cycle enzymes across the peroxisomal membrane (Kunze & Hartig, 2013).
After a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Vienna in 1979 Andreas Hartig spent postdoctoral years at the NIH, Bethesda, USA, at Rutgers University, Piscataway, USA, and in Vienna at the Department of Biochemistry with the late Prof. Dr. Helmut Ruis, which stimulated his interest in cellular and molecular biology of yeast. Since 1986 a member of the faculty he retired in October 2017.
Dissecting the turgor sensing mechanisms in the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae
Pikobodies: What does it take to bioengineer NLR immune receptor-nanobody fusions
scRNA and phylogenetics
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
Enigmatic evolutionary origin and multipotency of the neural crest cells - major drivers of vertebrate evolution
Visualising mitotic chromosomes and nuclear dynamics by correlative light and electron microscopy
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