Molecular and Cell Biology

In the research concentration Molecular and Cell Biology, the Department of Biology investigates the biochemical functions of molecules and their role in the control and structure of cells, tissues and organisms. To understand molecular interfaces and boundaries, we pose questions like: How is the amount of particular protein regulated in the cell? How is cell replication regulated? How do cells communicate with each other? Which molecules and cellular processes enable the survival of an organism under stress? How does cell translation occur in a developmentally and environmentally dependent manner? How has the evolution of genes and proteins changed?

In this field, molecular processes are analyzed on the levels of individual proteins, cells, and complex organs. Research questions in this concentration target a mechanistic understanding of often highly dynamic processes. To this aim, a broad spectrum of methodologies are used ranging from the live observation of individual molecules and functional characterization of molecular complexes to bioinformatics analysis of genomes and proteomes.

The following working groups contribute to the research concentration Molecular and Cell Biology:

• Developmental Biology (Prof. Dr. Arp Schnittger)
• Evolutionary Immunogenomics (Prof. Dr. Tobias Lenz)
• Genome Informatics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Kurtz)
• Molecular Cell Biology of Animals (Prof. Dr. Baris Tursun)
• Molecular Phytopathology (PD Dr. Cornelia Heinze)
• Molecular Plant Genetics (Prof. Dr. Julia Kehr)
• Molecular Plant Physiology (Prof. Dr. Stefan Hoth)
• Molecular Animal Physiology (Prof. Dr. Christian Lohr; interim department head)
• Neurophysiology (Prof. Dr. Christian Lohr)
• Plant Biochemistry and Infection Biology (Prof. Dr. Sigrun Reumann)

The following associated working groups contribute to the research concentration Molecular and Cell Biology:

• Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin (BNITM; Prof. Dr. Tim Gilberger)
• Arbovirology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin (BNITM; Prof. Dr. Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit)
• Viral Transformation, Heinrich-Pette-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie (HPI)