News
New algae rhodopsin published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
The SFB 1078 PIs Igor Schapiro (C6) and Peter Hegeman (B2) were involved in the discovery, structure and biophysical characterization of bestrhodopsins, a microbial rhodopsin subfamily from marine unicellular algae, in which one rhodopsin domain of eight transmembrane helices or, more often, two such domains in tandem, are C-terminally fused to a bestrophin channel.
Jun 16, 2022
SFB Publication in Nature Chemistry
In a joint publication by SFB 1078 colleagues from six different subprojects, a combination of quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations and ultrafast visible and infrared spectroscopies demonstrates how proton-coupled dynamics in the excited state of Pfr leads to a restructured hydrogen-bond environment of early Lumi-F, which is interpreted as a trigger for downstream protein structural changes.
May 16, 2022
Joachim Heberle visits Israel for a guest lecture in May 2022
Guest lecture on “Biophysical Chemistry” from 2.-23. May at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Apr 28, 2022
Best Talk Award for Luiz Schubert at the 2021 Time Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy (TRVS) Conference
Congrats to Luiz Schubert (SFB project B3) for receiving the Best Early Career Symposium Talk Award at the TRVS2021 conference.
Mar 15, 2022
SFB Publication by K. Heyne (B07)
In this recent publication by K. Heyne (PI of SFB project B07) in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B they present a new perspective on protein-cofactor interactions via an impulsive electric field change in the electronic excited state: Heyne, K. (2022). Impact of Ultrafast Electric Field Changes on Photoreceptor Protein Dynamics. 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08131 .
Feb 10, 2022
Joint Science Publication by J. Heberle and I. Schapiro
A brand-new publication by SFB 1078 PIs and colleagues from Switzerland proposes the ion transfer pathway in bacterial halorhodopsin and discusses the interplay between the driving force created by the protein dipole moment and the control of transport by molecular gates. Furthermore, the authors provide details of how light energy is converted into kinetic energy for chloride translocation. The resulting charge separation represents a fundamental feature for light energy conversion in nature as well as in technology: Mous et al. 2022. Dynamics and mechanism of a light-driven chloride pump. Science (3 Feb 2022) , DOI: 10.1126/science.abj6663
Feb 04, 2022
Han Sun is appointed as a W2 professor at the TU Berlin
We congratulate Dr. Han Sun for being appointed a W2-S professor at the Institute of Chemistry of the Technical University of Berlin. As PI of the SFB 1078 C8 project she aims to obtain a comprehensive picture of proton and cation permeation in several viroporins such as the M proteins of the Dengue and West Nile viruses that pose high biomedical threats. She is also involved in other projects that can assist drug discovery.
Feb 01, 2022
SFB Sprecher Joachim Heberle referiert in seiner Funktion als Ombudsmann für gute wissenschaftliche Praxis
Titel: Verantwortung für die eigene Forschung, 25.11.2021 | 18:15 - 19:45
Nov 23, 2021
SFB Publication in Nature Communications
A brand-new SFB 1078 publication is shedding light on the substrate water intake channel and the proton egress pathway of the Photosystem II protein: Hussein et al. 2021. Structural dynamics in the water and proton channels of photosystem II during the S 2 to S 3 transition. Nat Commun 12, 6531. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26781-z
Nov 11, 2021
Peter Hegemann receives Lasker Award 2021
The Lasker Foundation announces the 2021 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award to Karl Deissenroth (Stanford University), Peter Hegemann (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin) and Dieter Oesterhelt (Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried) " for the discovery of light-sensitive microbial proteins that can activate or silence individual brain cells and for their use in developing optogenetics—a revolutionary technique for neuroscience".
Sep 24, 2021
SFB Speaker Joachim Heberle Co-organizer of Telluride Workshop 2021
Joachim Heberle, speaker of SFB 1078, organized this year's virtual Telluride Workshop "Proton Transfer in Biology" and was re-elected as co-organizer for the next on-site workshop in 2023.
Jul 05, 2021
Young Investigator Award for Mohamed Ibrahim at 2020 Virtual SSRL/LCLS Users Meeting
Congratulations to Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim (SFB project A5) for receiving the Young Investigator Award for his exceptional research on Photosystem II!
Jun 04, 2021
New DFG Guidelines for effective Career Support
The DFG has now published principles for effective career development in science. They are intended as a supplement to the guidelines for ensuring good scientific practice. They summarize how the conditions for scientists in early career phases - in particular doctoral and postdoctoral researchers - should be structured.
Apr 08, 2021
SFB Publication in J. Am. Chem. Soc.
A joint publication by the PIs Inez Weidinger (A1), Joachim Heberle (A1), Peter Hildebrandt (B6) and Maria Andrea Mroginski (C2) on cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) has been published in J. Am. Chem. Soc. In this work the authors identify a resonance Raman marker band that is characteristic for the active and inactive state of CcO. Using a combination of spectroscopy, electrochemistry and DFT calculations they could identify protonation of Tyr 288 in the resting state of CcO to be the origin of catalytic inactivity.
Feb 11, 2021
SFB Publication in Nature Communications
A recent SFB publication strongly supports the hypothesis that in early Earth history, light-driven manganese oxide production by ancient photosystems was bioenergetically important and possibly responsible for early geological manganese deposits. Chernev et al., (2020) Light-driven formation of manganese oxide by today's photosystem-II supports evolutionarily ancient manganese-oxidizing photosynthesis. Nature Communications 11, Article number: 6110 (2020)
Dec 14, 2020
SFB 1078 extended for 3rd funding period
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has decided to fund our SFB for another 4 years until December 2024.
Nov 27, 2020
ERC Synergy Grant for Peter Hegemann
The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the interdisciplinary joint project "Switchable rhodOpsins in Life Sciences" (SOL). Together with researchers from the University of Bern, the Paul Scherrer Institute (both CH) and the University of Manchester (UK), Prof. Peter Hegemann (SFB1078: B1/B2) wants to show how OptoGPCRs (light-controlled molecular switches) can revolutionize our ability to control complex cellular processes with light.
Nov 09, 2020
SFB1078 at Berlin Science Week 2020 with Image Video
PUBLIC PRESENTATION VIA LIVESTREAM November 03, 2020, 16.00 - 16.30 Come and watch the most recent video to present our SFB at the Berlin Science Week 2020!
Nov 01, 2020
Berlin Scientists congratulate Emmanuelle Charpentier on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Prof. Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin for her revolutionary work on the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. She shares the award with Jennifer Doudna from the University of California, Berkeley, USA. https://www.nobelprize.org
Oct 07, 2020
SFB Publication in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
A new joint SFB publication discloses the influence of lipids on the functional reconstitution of cytochrom c oxidase. Hugentobler et al. (2020) A Lipid Composition Affects the Effciency in the Functional Reconstitution of the Cytochrome c Oxidase., Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 6981.
Sep 23, 2020
