| Date: | 25 March 2013 |
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| Speaker: | Prof. Herbert Waldmann |
Small molecule probes offer distinct opportunities to rapidly, reversibly and conditionally perturb protein function and biological systems. For the identification of such probes biological relevance is key. This condition is met by natural product inspired compound classes, selected in evolution. We have developed the concept of Biology Oriented Synthesis (BIOS) which builds on relevance in nature to inspire compound synthesis. Investigation of BIOS-compound collections in cell-based assays and subsequent target identification and validation by means of chemical proteomics, molecular and cell biology revealed novel modulators of protein function and networks. Examples include Melophlin A which targets Dynamins, Centrocountin1 which targets Nucleophosmin and Crm1, Tubulexin A which targets Tubulin and Exportin 2 and Wntepane 1 which targets the van Gogh like 1 receptor.
Professor Herbert Waldmann studied chemistry and completed his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Mainz in 1985. During the next two years, he worked as postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. In 1991, he qualified as Professor at the University of Mainz. Shortly thereafter he was appointed as Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Bonn. In 1993, he became Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Karlsruhe.
Since 1999, he has headed the Department of Chemical Biology, the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, and has also held the position of Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Dortmund. He has been the Head of the Chemical Genomics Center of the Max Planck Gesellschaft since 2005. Professor Waldmann has been awarded numerous academic distinctions for his work, including the Otto-Bayer-Award in 2001 and the Max-Bergmann Medal in 2003.
presented by
Office of the Vice-President (Research)
