Chemical tools to dissect roles of deubiquitinases in cell state transitions (B02)

• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 424228829

Gersch´s project concentrates on chemical approaches to deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). DUBs are considered decision makers in various cell state transitions, but the available chemis-try to target DUBs is limited. He will follow his own and published leads on promising inhibitors to develop diverse PROTAC compounds with a key goal to discriminate catalytic and non-catalytic roles of DUBs. Starting with the cancer-relevant USP7 as a target, he will explore these approaches in pancreas carcinoma. He will then extend to target DUBs regulating other CRC-relevant cell state transitions.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1430: Molecular Mechanisms of Cell State Transitions
• Applicant Institution: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Project Head: Dr. Malte Gersch