GRK 2473:  Bioactive Peptides – Innovative Aspects of Synthesis and Biosynthesis

• Subject Area: Biological Chemistry and Food Chemistry ; Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 392923329

The research program of the second funding period will continue to focus on investigations of bioactive peptides under synthetic, biological and analytical aspects. Research will be supported by a teaching program which regularly invites internationally known guest lecturers on specific themed topics around the world of peptides. Representatives from industry, law offices and areas related to academics, e.g. publishing houses, will provide additional contributions. Thus, the orientation of the RTG highlights prospects of relevance for future career life of RTG students. Additionally, we will provide soft-skill courses as a training, which proves already helpful for the progress of RTG students during their thesis. The planned research will continue under the following adaptations: The team of PIs was extended by one research group. The rational behind these considerations were to compose for the first funding period a synergistically acting team, which could be complemented in the second funding period by research groups of important and complementing research techniques. The research team of Professor Han Sun adds new working techniques and thus new prospects to the RTG. These comprise transport through membranes, NMR spectroscopy and structure elucidation of small molecules combined to molecular dynamics simulations. The applied techniques are complementary to those of current members in the PI team. The previously established structure of the RTG will be maintained, i.e. the tripartition into a) biology-based b) synthesis-based peptide research and c) (bio)analytical and theoretical methods. Main focal points of research will be 1.) the mode-of-action of peptides and the investigation with bioanalytical methods and 2.) transport phenomena through membranes.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Berlin
• Participating Institution: Freie Universität Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP); im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.; Universität Potsdam
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Roderich D. Süßmuth
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Elke Dittmann-Thünemann; Professor Dr. Christian Hackenberger; Professorin Dr. Bettina Keller; Professorin Dr. Beate Koksch; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Vera Meyer; Professorin Dr. Maria Andrea Mroginski; Professor Dr. Heiko Möller; Professor Dr. Juri Rappsilber; Professor Dr. Oliver Seitz; Professorin Dr. Han Sun; Professor Dr. Markus C. Wahl