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Chair of Biophysical Chemistry

Prof. Dr. Simon Ebbinghaus

Research Aim

Most biopolymers like proteins, DNA, and RNA molecules function inside the cell, but are probed in vitro, under test tube conditions. We are interested in studying biomolecular structure, function and aggregation directly in cellular environments to yield new insight on their function in health and disease. Currently we focus on neurodegenerative diseases as well as bona/cartilage malformations and disordered hormone metabolisms based on impaired sulfation pathways.



Featured Publications

Featured Publication 1:

CAG-repeat RNA hairpin folding and recruitment into nuclear speckles with a pivotal role of ATP as a cosolute

A. Hautke, A. Voronin, F. Idiris, A. Riel, F. Lindner, A. Lelièvre, J. Zhu, B. Appel, E. Fatti, K. Weis, S. Mueller, A. Schug, S. Ebbinghaus*

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2023, 145, 17, 9571–9583.

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Featured Publication 2:

Sequestration of Proteins in Stress Granules Relies on the In-Cell but Not the In Vitro Folding Stability

N. Samanta#, S S. Ribeiro#, M. Becker, E. Laborie, R. Pollak, S. Timr*, F. Sterpone*, S. Ebbinghaus*

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 47, 19909.

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Featured Publication 3:

Stability Effect of Quinary Interactions Reversed by Single Point Mutations

D. Gnutt, S. Timr, J. Ahlers, B. König, E. Manderfeld, M. Heyden, F. Sterpone, S. Ebbinghaus

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 11, 4660.

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Featured Publication 4:

Inhibition of Huntingtin Exon-1 Aggregation by the Molecular Tweezer CLR01

T. Vöpel, K. Bravo-Rodriguez, S. Mittal, S. Vachharajani, D. Gnutt, A. Sharma, A. Steinhof, O. Fatoba, G. Ellrichmann, M. Nshanian, C. Heid, J. A. Loo, F. G. Klärner, T. Schrader, G. Bitan, E. E. Wanker,  S. Ebbinghaus*, E. Sanchez-Garcia*

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 16, 5640.

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News

How proteins clump together

Molecular mechanisms involved in protein aggregation in membrane-less organelles

What happens when our cells are exposed to prolonged stress? Untypical cell behavior is the result and diseases develop.

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How to illuminate a cell nucleus

TU Braunschweig develops sugar-based dye molecules

The research groups of Prof. Dr. D. B. Werz and Prof. Dr. S. Ebbinghaus have found a way to label cells with sugar-based dyes and observe them using fluorescence.

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Against Alzheimer's & Co: Misfolding of proteins studied

"In-Cell" experiments to be continued in DFG priority program

How protein misfoldings in cells can trigger diseases such as Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. A study of protein stability through mutations.

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Third-party funded projects