Melanie McDowell

3. May 202225. May 2022

Biography

I am a structural biologist, interested in membrane protein targeting and insertion. After completing a master’s in molecular and cellular biochemistry at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, I embarked on a Ph.D. as part of the Wellcome Trust Graduate Program in Structural Biology. Within the lab of Susan Lea at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology in Oxford, I investigated the molecular arrangement of components within the bacterial Type III Secretion System.

Inspired by this amazing membrane-embedded complex and a love of Germany, I successfully applied for an EMBO long-term fellowship to study eukaryotic membrane protein biogenesis. During my postdoc with Irmi Sinning at the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center, I determined structures of the Get1/Get2 membrane protein complex that showed us how tail-anchored membrane proteins are inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. It was a huge honor to be awarded a ‘free-floating’ Max Planck Research Group Leader position, allowing me to start the membrane protein biogenesis group at the MPI of Biophysics at the beginning of 2022.

Education and positions held

2022-present:
- Max Planck Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
2014-2021:
- Postdoctoral Researcher at the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH), Heidelberg, Germany.
2012-2014:
- Postdoctoral Researcher at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford, UK.
2008-2012:
- DPhil in Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
2004-2008:
- Masters in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Research Summary

Around one third of proteins in the eukaryotic cell are found in membranes, where they perform key physiological roles and represent major drug targets. However, membrane proteins must first be delivered to and inserted into the correct membrane before they can function. For the vast majority of membrane proteins, the first stage in this journey is their synthesis in the cytosol and insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by cellular pathways.

Due to the huge repertoire of eukaryotic membrane proteins, different pathways are required for their ER targeting and insertion. Our research aims to obtain a molecular-level understanding of these fundamental pathways, primarily through solving the structures of factors involved in targeting and insertion. In combination with biophysical and biochemical methods, we want to further understand how these factors interact and ultimately the interplay between the different pathways.

Key publications

M. A. McDowell*, M. Heimes* and I. Sinning. Structural and molecular mechanisms for membrane protein biogenesis by the Oxa1 superfamily. Nat Struct Mol Bio 28, 234-239 (2021).
M. A. McDowell, M. Heimes, F. Fiorentino, S. Mehmood, Á. Farkas, J. Coy-Vergara, D. Wu, J. Reddy Bolla, V. Schmid, R. Heinze, K. Wild, D. Flemming, S. Pfeffer, B. Schwappach, C. V. Robinson and I. Sinning. Structural basis of tail-anchored membrane protein biogenesis by the GET insertase complex. Molecular Cell 80 (1), 72-86.e7 (2020) .
M. A. McDowell*, A. M. P. Byrne*, E. Mylona, R. Johnson, A. Sagfors, V. F. Crepin, S. M. Lea and G. Frankel. The S. Typhi effector StoD is an E3/E4 ubiquitin ligase which binds K48- and K63-linked diubiquitin. Life Science Alliance 2(3), e201800272 (2019) .
M. A. McDowell, J. Marcoux, G. McVicker, S. Johnson, Y. Fong, R. Stevens, L. A. H. Bowman, M. T. Degiacomi, J. Yan, A. Wise, M. E. Friede, J. L. P. Benesch, J. E. Deane, C. M. Tang, C. V. Robinson and S. M. Lea. Characterisation of Shigella Spa33 and Thermotoga FliM/N reveals a new model for C-ring assembly in T3SS. Mol Microbiol 99, 749-766 (2015)

Representatives

5. February 20206. October 2020

The MPRGL Representatives

In case you are interested in contributing to MPRGL, please contact the current members of the committee listed below. Email: rgl-meeting [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de

Speakers

Representatives

Peter Tessarz Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing

Heidi Colleran Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Frank Ohme Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics

Deputy speakers

Representatives

Edda G. Schulz Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics

Alexander Badri-Spröwitz Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Adam Izdebski Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

MPRGL is now powered by the Max Planck Digital Library

MPRGL has teamed up with the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) to coordinate and provide all services required for organizing the MPRGL Meeting. This includes creating and updating the website, processing registration, providing administrative support with the conference venue, managing the operational budget, and promoting MPRGL through better communication between the different institutes. The idea behind this new form of cooperation between MPRGL and the MPDL is, that it allows the current and future steering committees to focus on the thematic and program aspects of the symposium. Our main partner at the MPDL is Una Sokcevic.

MPRGL is supported by the MPG General Administration

We would also like to thank Katharina Miller-Meyer from the MPG general administration for her support!

Home

9. March 20181. October 2020

This is a forum for independent (W2) Max Planck Research Group Leaders within the Max Planck Society to connect with each other, both online and in person. This website provides information and useful contacts relevant to our appointments within the MPG, as well as profiles of current and alumni Group Leaders to help us get to know our colleagues across the Society. We also encourage you to take part in the annual Max Planck Research Group Leaders meeting, which provides us with a chance for scientific and social exchange, as well as discussion of support opportunities open to and organisational issues facing independent Group Leaders.

Tonni Andersen

19. February 202110. April 2021

Biography

I did my PhD in the DynaMo center of excellence, University of Copenhagen, led by Prof. Barbara Ann Halkier under the supervision of Prof. Meike Burow. During this time, I worked on transport and biosynthesis of the defense compounds glucosinolates in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Following this, I worked as a post-doctoral researcher in the lab of Prof. Niko Geldner in Lausanne, Switzerland, where I became fascinated with roots and, especially their ability to interact with and shape their surrounding environment in order to optimize plant growth.

In 2019 I obtained funding through the Max Planck Society and Alexander von Humboldt foundation (Sofja Kovalavskaja programme) to start the Andersen lab at the MPIPZ and investigate these fascinating aspects of plant life further.

Education and positions held

2019-Present
- Alexander von Humboldt Sofja Kovalevskaja Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, DE
2019-Present
- MPG Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, DE
2016-2019
- Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Molecular Plant Biology, University of Lausanne,CH
2014-2016
- Marie Curie IEF Fellow, University of Lausanne (UNIL), CH. In the lab of Prof. Niko Geldner
2012-2013
- Postdoc,DNRF Centre of Excellence for Dynamic Molecular Interactions (DynaMo), Copenhagen
2009-2012
- Ph.D. University of Copenhagen

2007-2009
- M.Sc, University of Copenhagen

2006-2007
- Research Assistant, In the lab of Prof. Leena Hilakivi-Clarke, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

2004-2007
- B.Sc, University of Copenhagen

Research Summary

Most agricultural traits are based on above-ground features (amount of seeds, plant height, weight, etc.). However, the plant-associated underground is likely to contain many traits that influence overall plant health. Roots are faced with constant stress both regarding nutrient/water availability and biotic factors such as pathogenic microbes and need to respond accordingly to survive.

The root needs to create the right response at a cellular level, and the amplitude of stress factors varies dramatically across the root system. The plant, therefore, needs to continuously integrate and monitor what each and every one of its cells perceives of its surroundings. In my group, we study how this happens on a single-cell-level.

Key publications

Andersen, T.G., * Naseer, S., Ursache,R., Wouter, B.S., De Rybel, B., Vermeer, J.E.M., and Geldner, N.* (2018): Diffusible repression of cytokinin signalling produces endodermal symmetry and passage cells. Nature, 555, p. 529-533, PMID: 29539635
Nour-Eldin, H.H.,**, Andersen, T.G.,** Burow, M., Madsen, S.R., Jørgensen, M.E., Olsen, C.E., Dreyer, I., Hedrich, R., Geiger, D. and Halkier, B.A. (2012): NRT/PTR transporters are essential for translocation of glucosinolate defence compounds to seeds. Nature. 23;488(7412):531-534. PMID: 22864417
Andersen, T.G.,**, Nour-Eldin HH**, Fuller, V.L., Olsen, C.E., Burow, M. and Halkier, B.A. (2013): Integration of biosynthesis and long-distance transport establish organ-specific glucosinolate profiles in vegetative Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 25(8):3133-45. PMID: 23995084
Barberon, M., Vermeer, J.E.M., De Bellis, D., Wang, P., Naseer, S., Andersen, T.G., Humbel, B.M., Nawrath, C., Takano, J., Salt, D.E. and Geldner ,N.(2016): Adaptation of Root Function by Nutrient-Induced Plasticity of Endodermal Differentiation. Cell. 28;164(3):447-59. PMID: 26777403
Ursache R., Andersen, T.G., Marhavý P., Geldner N. (2018): A protocol for combining fluorescent proteins with histological stains for diverse cell wall components. Plant J. 93(2):399-412. PMID: 29171896

Laetitia Wilkins

30. May 202230. May 2022

Biography

Currently, Dr. Wilkins runs the Eco-Evolutionary Interactions Group at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. She cares about diversity, creativity, and an inclusive environment in academia. “The MPI in Bremen offers the necessary resources and network to reach our scientific and community-driven goals. We are very excited to be part of the Max Planck Family and the only Max Planck Research Institute of Marine Research.” (L. Wilkins, May 16th, 2022)

Education and positions held

2022-present:
- Max Planck Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
2021-present:
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship.
2020-2022:
- Project Scientist, Department of Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany; hosted by Prof. Dr. Nicole Dubilier.
2020-present:
- Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) Early Career Scientist Committee.
2018-2020:
- Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Davis, USA, hosted by Prof. Dr. Jonathan A. Eisen.
2017-2018:
- Founder and Co-President of the Berkeley Spouses, Partners and Parents Association (BSPPA), UC Berkeley, USA.
2016-2018:
- SNSF Postdoc, University of California, Berkeley, USA, hosted by Prof. Dr. Stephanie Carlson.
2014-2016:
- SNSF Postdoc, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, hosted by Prof. Dr. Claus Wedekind.
2010-2014:
- Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, hosted by Prof. Dr. Claus Wedekind and Dr. Luca Fumagalli.

Research Summary

As oceans undergo major changes due to human activities, understanding how animals and plants adapt to a changing environment is now more than ever one of the biggest questions in marine biology. To predict future responses, we can explore the past and use geological events, which provide valuable insights into adaptive mechanisms because these events were major drivers of evolution. The formation of the Isthmus of Panamá separated a previous, ancient ocean and all of its marine life into the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. These two oceans have developed into very different habitats. Closely related populations that were separated by the Isthmus either went extinct or had to adapt to diverging environmental conditions. Therefore, the Isthmus system offers an ideal opportunity to explore drivers and processes of speciation, diversification, and adaptation through a convergent evolutionary framework. Lucinid clams are globally distributed and live in environments that are characterized by the accumulation of organic matter in the sediment. Lucinids of the genera Ctena and Codakia are of particular interest to our group because these genera harbor sister species pairs that were separated by the closure of the Isthmus of Panamá. Our group is closely collaborating with researchers in Central America, Guadeloupe, California, Hong Kong, Austria, and also with researchers at the Max Planck Institutes in Mainz and Cologne.

Key publications

Leray*, M., Wilkins*, L. G. E., Apprill, A., Bik, H. M., Clever, F., Connolly, S. R., De León, M. E., Duffy, J. E., Ezzat, L., Gignoux-Wolfsohn, S., Herre, E. A., Kaye, J. Z., Kline, D. I., Kueneman, J. G., McCormick, M. K., McMillan, W. O., O’Dea, A., Pereira, T. J., Petersen, J. M., Petticord, D. F., Torchin, M. E., Vega Thurber, R., Videvall, E., Wcislo, W. T., Yuen, B., and Eisen, J.A. 2021. Natural experiments and long-term monitoring are critical to understand and predict marine host-microbe ecology and evolution. PLoS Biology 19(8): e3001322. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001322 (*shared first authorship) [OA = Open Access].
Osvatic*, J. T., Wilkins*, L. G. E., Leibrecht, L., Leray, M., Zauner, S., Polzin, J., Camacho-García, Y., Gros, O., van Gils, J. A., Eisen, J. A., Petersen, J. M., and Yuen, B. 2021. Global biogeography of chemosynthetic symbionts reveals both localized and globally distributed symbiont groups. PNAS 118(29). doi:10.1073/pnas.2104378118 (*shared first authorship) [OA].
Wilkins*, L. G. E., Leray*, M., O’Dea, A., Yuen, B., Peixoto, R., Pereira, T. J., Bik, H. M., Coil, D. A., Duffy, J. E., Herre, E. A., Lessios, H., Lucey, N. M., Mejia, L. C., Rasher, D. B., Sharp, K., Sogin, E.M., Thacker, R. W., Vega Thurber, R., Wcislo, W. T., Wilbanks, E. G., and Eisen, J. A. 2019. Host-associated microbiomes drive structure and function of marine ecosystems. PLoS Biology 17(11): e3000533. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000533 (*shared first authorship) [OA].
Wilkins*, L. G. E., Ettinger*, C. L., Jospin, G., and Eisen, J. A. 2019. Metagenome-assembled genomes provide new insight into the microbial diversity of two thermal pools in Kamchatka, Russia. Scientific Reports 9(3059). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39576-6 (*shared first authorship) [OA].
Wilkins, L. G. E., Fumagalli, L., and Wedekind, C. 2016. Effects of host genetics and environment on egg-associated microbiota in brown trout (Salmo trutta). Molecular Ecology 25(19): 388-394. doi:10.1111/mec.13798

Tugce Aktas

10. August 202010. April 2021

Biography

I have received my PhD in Biology from EMBL with a joint degree from Heidelberg University. During my PhD I worked on understanding the impact of transposable elements on gene regulation by studying LTR elements in developing mouse embryo. In a collaboration with Didier Trono from EPFL Switzerland we identified KAP1/TRIM28 as the master epigenetic regulator of Endogenous Retroviral elements. After a short bridging postdoc period at EMBL I have started my postdoc at Max Planck Institute of Immunobiolgy and Epigenetics in Freiburg. During my postdoc I worked with an abundant nuclear RNA helices, DHX9. We discovered that DHX9 suppresses RNA processing defects which are caused by the large secondary structures of Alu repeats embedded within genes. This work has paved the way to understanding the contribution of RNA binding proteins in enabling the transposable element expansions in genomes. We have as well developed new methods to explore Protein-RNA interactions in order to overcome the difficulties of conventional CLIP technologies. Since December 2018, I am heading the Max Planck Research Group for Quantitative RNA Biology at Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin.

Education and positions held

2018 – present
- Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Molecular Genetics, Berlin
2012 – 2018
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Postdoc with Dr. Asifa Akhtar, Department of Chromatin Regulation
2011 – 2012
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, Postdoc with Dr. François Spitz, Developmental Biology Unit
2007 – 2011
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, Ph.D. with Dr. François Spitz, Developmental Biology Unit
2003 – 2007
- Middle East Technical University (METU) Ankara, Turkey, B.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics”

Research Summary

Understanding how our genome works is one of the most important goals of biological sciences. With only four letters A, T, C and G, the alphabet of our genome is deceptively simple. However, the language built with these four letters is proving to be extremely complex and full of surprises. For example, as the human genome was sequenced at the turn of the century, it became clear that at least half of our genome is composed of so-called selfish genetic elements: transposons and viruses while the protein-coding part of genome makes up less than 2% of our genome. How is this possible, and what does it really mean?

On the one hand, we know that transposons/viruses pose a danger to our genome integrity and cause diseases, on the other hand it is becoming more and more clear that at the same time, paradoxically, they play crucial roles in creating incredible biological complexity. How do our cells perform this balancing act?

In our laboratory we are motivated by these fundamental questions and we will work on several aspects of transposon-host interactions and their impact on the evolution and wiring of post-transcriptional RNA processing networks. We will investigate how strategies that suppress, delay or neutralize transcribed transposons/viruses shape our transcriptomes and through evolution, our genomes.

Key publications

Aktas T.; Ilik I.A.; Maticzka D.; Bhardwaj V.; Rodrigues C.P.; Manke T.; Backofen R.; Akhtar A.; DHX9 suppresses RNA processing defects originating from the Alu invasion of human genome, Nature,544 (7648), 115-119, 2017
Rowe H.M.; Jakobsson J.; Mesnard D.; Rougemont J.; Reynard S.; Aktas T.; Maillard P.V.; Layard-Liesching H.; Verp S.; Marquis J.; Spitz F.; Constam D.B.; Trono D.; KAP1 controls endogenous retroviruses in embryonic stem cells, Nature, 463, 7278, 237-240, 2010
Ilik, I.A., Aktas, T., Maticzka, D., Backofen, R. and Akhtar, A., 2020. FLASH: ultra-fast protocol to identify RNA–protein interactions in cells. Nucleic acids research, 48(3), pp.e15-e15.
Rowe H.M.; Friedli M.; Offner S.; Verp S.; Mesnard D.; Marquis J.; Aktas T.; Trono D.; De novo DNA methylation of endogenous retroviruses is shaped by KRAB-ZFPs/KAP1 and ESET, Development, 140, 3, 519-529, 2013
Basilicata, M.F.†, Bruel, A.L.†, Semplicio, G.*, Valsecchi, C.I.K.*, Aktaş, T.*, Duffourd, Y., Rumpf, T., Morton, J., Bache, I., Szymanski, W.G. and Gilissen, C., 2018. De novo mutations in MSL3 cause an X-linked syndrome marked by impaired histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation. Nature genetics, 50(10), p.1442, 2018

†, * equal contribution

Accommodation

5. February 20201. April 2020

UPDATE: the MPRGL annual meeting 2020 will now be held fully online. Please do not book any travel or accommodation for this meeting. If you have already booked your accommodation, please be sure to cancel it in good time.

The MPRGL Meeting registration will be free of charge thanks to the support of the General Administration of the MPG, registration is nevertheless required.

Accommodation in Berlin

Accommodation and travel expenses of Max Planck internal conferences must be financed separately by each participant. If you do not have access to funds, please consult with your institute for any options to attend the symposium. If you have any questions or problems, please contact us or write to conference [at] leadnet [dot] mpg [dot] de

Harnack House (conference venue)

Single room rates are € 73,50/night (single room guest house, single room main building), double room rates from € 73,50/night to € 100/night (guest house, main building), including breakfast. The full block of rooms will be available until March 27; please make your reservations individually. Reservations are possible, e.g., via email, reservation code: “5546” Address: Harnack House, The Conference Venue of the Max Planck Society Ihnestr. 16-20 14195 Berlin, Germany Phone: + 49 30 8413-3800 Fax: + 49 30 8413-3801 E-Mail: info[at]harnackhaus-berlin.mpg.de Map:

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Sonja Vernes

11. August 202010. April 2021

Biography

I am interested in understanding how human speech and language are biologically encoded, how these abilities evolved, and the causes of language related disorders. I was drawn to this research area during my DPhil at the University of Oxford that sought to understand the functions of genes that cause speech and language disorders.

I demonstrated how patient mutations in one such gene, FOXP2, cause altered neurodevelopment in mouse and human models, and identified a relationship between FOXP2 and the CNTNAP2 gene, demonstrating a novel genetic mechanism shared across clinically distinct language-related syndromes.

In 2016, I was awarded a Max Planck Research Group (MPRG) Grant and a Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) Research Grant to establish a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics.

My group uses bats for comparative studies of speech and language relevant traits. We focus on the abilities of bats to learn novel vocalizations (vocal learning), an ability they share with humans, and that underlies the human ability to learn to communicate via spoken language. I am a founding director of the Bat1K genome project that aims to sequence the genomes of all living bat species (www.bat1k.com), a Donders institute affiliated principal investigator, a visiting professor at the University of Turin, and a member of the FENS-KAVLI network of excellence (http://fenskavlinetwork.org/).

Education and positions held

2004 – 2009
- Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil), The University of Oxford (University College), United Kingdom.

Research Summary

Our research group focuses on the study of vocal communication in mammals as a way to understand the biological basis of human speech and language and how this trait evolved.

Many species of mammal, including our primate cousins, have limited vocal repertoires. But a few mammals such as bats, whales and elephants use complex and varied vocalizations that share some characteristics with human speech, for example, the ability to learn vocalizations from other members of their social group. Currently very little is known about the genetic basis for these sophisticated vocal behaviors in non-human mammals. Studying such species can provide clues about how human language evolved, and how language abilities are encoded in the brain and the genome.

We use cutting-edge neuro-molecular techniques to identify genes and neural circuits that are important for vocal communication and learned vocalizations in bats. Our work has demonstrated the feasibility of neurogenetic studies in bats, identified sites of action for key language-related genes in the brains of vocal learning bats, and their potential to contribute to our understanding of human speech and language. This new research area is allowing us to characterise the biology underlying vocal learning in mammals and will ultimately inform our understanding of spoken language in humans.

Key publications

Vernes SC & Wilkinson, G – Behaviour, biology, and evolution of vocal learning in batsPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (Invited – Special Issue). 375.https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0061
Lattenkamp EZ, Vernes SC*(*corresponding author) & Wiegrebe, L – Volitional control of social vocalisations and vocal usage learning in bats. Journal of Experimental Biology. jeb.180729. doi:10.1242/jeb.180729
Lattenkamp EZ & Vernes SC – Vocal learning: a language-relevant trait in need of a broad cross-species approach. Current Opinion in Behavioural Science (Invited – Special Issue). 21:209-215. doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.04.007
Rodenas-Cuadrado P, Mengede J, Schmid TA, Devanna P, Yartsev M, Firzlaff U, & Vernes SC – Mapping the distribution of language related genes FoxP1, FoxP2 and CntnaP2 in the brains of vocal learning bat species. Journal of Comparative Neurology. 526(8):1235-1266. doi: 10.1002/cne.24385
Devanna P, Chen S, Ho J, Gajewski D, Smith SD, Gialluisi A, Francks C, Fisher SE, Newbury D & Vernes SC – Next-gen sequencing identifies non-coding variation disrupting miRNA binding sites in neurological disorders. Molecular Psychiatry. 23(5):1375–1384 doi: 10.1038/mp.2017.30

Kathryn Fitzsimmons

11. August 20209. April 2021

Biography

I currently lead the Max Planck Research Group for Terrestrial Palaeoclimates at MPIC in Mainz. I am a Quaternary earth scientist and geochronologist, specialising in luminescence dating and dryland environments. I am Privatdozentin at the University of Leipzig and maintain affiliated researcher status at the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig.

Prior to arriving at MPIC, I led the luminescence dating laboratory at the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig for 7 years, developing records of human-environmental interaction over long timescales on the desert margins of Australia, eastern Europe, Africa and Central Asia. During this time I was awarded the DFG Albert-Maucher-Prize for interdisciplinary geoscience research, as well as the Hans-Bobek-Prize for my Habilitation thesis (awarded at the University of Leipzig).

Prior to arriving in Germany, in my first postdoctoral position, I ran the luminescence laboratory in the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, investigating the history of aridity and drought in Australia. I obtained my PhD in 2007 from the Australian National University on the history of aridity in the central Australian desert dunefields over the last 200,000 years, for which I was awarded the Director‘s Prize in Scientific Communication.

As an undergraduate I studied earth sciences and German language at the University of Melbourne, though I must admit I never expected my German to be so useful!

Education and positions held

Positions

2016 – present
- Max Planck Group Leader (Terrestrial Palaeoclimates), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
2016 – present
- Privatdozentin, Institute for Geography, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
2016 – present
- Affiliated Researcher, Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
2010 – 2016
- Junior Researcher, Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
2007 – 2010
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Education

2016
- Habilitation, Institute for Geography, University of Leipzig
2003 – 2007
- PhD, Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, Australian National University
1998 – 2002
- BSc(Hons), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
1998 – 2001
- Diploma in Modern Languages (German), University of Melbourne, Australia

Research Summary

The Quaternary is arguably one of the most significant epochs in Earth’s history. It has overseen substantial climatic and environmental changes, the evolution of humans, and their colonisation of most terrestrial landscapes. My research encompasses many aspects of this important time period, at different time and spatial scales.

My research aims to understand and quantify the nature of Quaternary land surface and environmental change, and the thresholds and causes of those changes. I also investigate the interactions between people and their environments over Quaternary timescales. I focus on abrupt environmental changes that may influence behavioural changes by people, and vice versa on instances where people overwhelmingly contribute to a breach of environmental thresholds, leading to landscape instability. To investigate these questions, we need well resolved, unambiguous palaeoenvironmental archives embedded within robust chronological frameworks.

With my group, I am working to develop new terrestrial proxy methods for the timing and variability of past change, in long sediment records deep in the continental zone, far from marine and ice core records. We combine the geochronological method of luminescence dating with geochemical, geomorphological, stratigraphic and sedimentological approaches. We are especially interested in generating the missing links in land-climate dynamics for wind-blown dust (loess) piedmonts and desert margin regions at risk of desertification.

Key publications

Fitzsimmons, K.E., Sprafke, T. Zielhofer, C., Guenter, C., Deom, J.-M., Sala, R., Iovita, R. (2018) Loess accumulation in the Tian Shan piedmont: implications for palaeoenvironmental change in arid Central Asia. Quaternary International 469A, 30-43. (26 citations)
Fitzsimmons, K.E., Hambach, U., Veres, D., Iovita, R. (2013) The Campanian Ignimbrite eruption: new data on volcanic ash dispersal and its potential impact on human evolution. PLOS ONE 8, e65839. (74 citations)
Fitzsimmons, K.E., Cohen, T.J., Hesse, P.P., Jansen, J., Nanson, G.C., May, J.-H., Barrows, T.T., Haberlah, D., Hilgers, A., Kelly, T., Larsen, J., Lomax, J., Treble, P. (2013) Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental change in the Australian drylands: a synthesis. Quaternary Science Reviews 74, 78-96. (109 citations)
Fitzsimmons, K.E., Marković, S.B., Hambach, U. (2012) Pleistocene environmental dynamics recorded in the loess of the middle and lower Danube basin. Quaternary Science Reviews 41, 104-118. (121 citations)
Fitzsimmons, K.E., Rhodes, E., Magee, J., Barrows, T.T. (2007) The timing of linear dune activity in the Strzelecki and Tirari Deserts, Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews 26, 2598–2616. (129 citations)

Katharina Höfer

26. July 202126. July 2021

Biography

Dr. Katharina Höfer is leading the independent Max Planck Research Group Bacterial Epitranscriptomics at the Max Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, where she explores the biological role of RNA modifications in bacteria. In particular, her work focuses NAD-capped RNAs in bacteria, which she discovered and started to characterize during her PhD at Heidelberg University.

She studied Life Science and Molecular Biotechnology at the Universities of Hannover and Heidelberg. In 2017 she received her PhD at Heidelberg University. Since 2017 she became a Carl-Zeiss fellow at Heidelberg University, which allowed her to study the biological significance of RNA modifications. Moreover, Katharina is a member of the “Forschungsbörse” to bring science into schools.

For her work on NAD-capped RNAs, she has been awarded the PhD prize of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Ruprecht Karls Prize and the Science prize of the Ingrid-zu Solms Stiftung.

Education and positions held

Since 2020 Independent Max Planck Research Group Leader “Bacterial Epitranscriptomics”, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
2020 Junior Group Leader “Bacterial Epitranscriptomics”, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
2017 – 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow with A. Jäschke, Heidelberg University, Germany.
2017 Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.; summa cum laude)
2012-2017 Predoctoral Fellow with A. Jäschke, Heidelberg University.
2011 Master of Science in Molecular Biotechnology.
2009-2011 Student of Molecular Biotechnology at the Heidelberg University, Germany.
2009 Research Student at the German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.
2008 Bachelor of Science in Life Science.
2005-2008 Student of Life Science at the University of Hannover, Germany.
2005 „Abitur“ at the “Friedrich-Schiller Gymnasium”, Bleicherode, Germany.

Research Summary

RNA`s simple chemical composition, being generally built from only four different nucleotides, stands in stark contrast to its highly complex functionality. More than 160 chemical modifications are known that alter the function or stability of RNA molecules to date. Focusing primarily on the model organism Escherichia coli, the Höfer lab studies the epitranscriptomic mechanisms of gene regulation based on NAD-capped RNAs in bacteria. We combine cell biological, biochemical, structural, chemical, and bioinformatic approaches to identify novel and essential connections between redox biology, gene expression, and regulation.

Key publications

Abele F, Höfer K*, Bernhard P, Grawenhoff J, Seidel M, Krause A, Kopf S, Schröter M, Jäschke A. A Novel NAD-RNA Decapping Pathway Discovered by Synthetic Light-Up NAD RNAs. Biomolecules. 2020 Mar 28;10(4):513. (*shared first author)
Winz ML, Cahová H, Nübel G, Frindert J, Höfer K, Jäschke A. Capture and sequencing of NAD-capped RNA sequences with NAD captureSeq. Nat Protoc. 2017 Jan;12(1):122-149.
Höfer K*, Li S*, Abele F, Frindert J, Schlotthauer J, Grawenhoff J, Du J, Patel DJ, Jäschke A. Structure and function of the bacterial decapping enzyme NudC. Nat Chem Biol. 2016 Sep;12(9):730-4. (*shared first author)
Cahová H*, Winz ML*, Höfer K*, Nübel G, Jäschke A. NAD captureSeq indicates NAD as a bacterial cap for a subset of regulatory RNAs. Nature. 2015 Mar 19;519(7543):374-7. (*shared first author)
Höfer K, Langejürgen LV, Jäschke A. Universal aptamer-based real-time monitoring of enzymatic RNA synthesis. J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Sep 18;135(37):13692-4.

Biography

Education and positions held

Research Summary

Key publications

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Biography

Education and positions held

Research Summary

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Biography

Education and positions held

Research Summary

Key publications

Biography

Education and positions held

Research Summary

Key publications

****UPDATE: the MPRGL annual meeting 2020 will now be held fully online. Please do not book any travel or accommodation for this meeting. If you have already booked your accommodation, please be sure to cancel it in good time.****

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Biography

Education and positions held

Research Summary

Key publications

Biography

Education and positions held

Positions

Education

Research Summary

Key publications

Biography

Education and positions held

Research Summary

Key publications

UPDATE: the MPRGL annual meeting 2020 will now be held fully online. Please do not book any travel or accommodation for this meeting. If you have already booked your accommodation, please be sure to cancel it in good time.