News

Nature paper on Huc has been released

The cryo-electron microscopy structure of the [NiFe]-hydrogenase Huc was obtained and refined to 1.52 Å resolution. Huc is a highly efficient, O 2 -insensitive enzyme that couples oxidation of atmospheric H 2 to the hydrogenation of the respiratory electron carrier menaquinone. Huc uses narrow hydrophobic gas channels to selectively bind atmospheric H 2 at the expense of O 2 , and 3 [3Fe–4S] clusters modulate the properties of the enzyme so that atmospheric H 2 oxidation is energetically feasible. The Huc catalytic subunits form an octameric 833 kDa complex around a membrane-associated stalk, which transports and reduces menaquinone 94 Å from the membrane. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for the biogeochemically and ecologically important process of atmospheric H 2 oxidation, uncover a mode of energy coupling dependent on long-range quinone transport, and pave the way for the development of catalysts that oxidize H 2 in ambient air.

Mar 14, 2023

ChatGPT - Der Papagei im Netz

In einem Artikel der akutellen Tagesspiegel-Beilage der Freien Universität diskutieren Forschende über die weitreichenden gesellschaftlichen Implikationen der Software

Feb 20, 2023

Sven Stripp in das Heisenberg-Programm der DFG aufgenommen

Ende 2022 hat Sven Stripp mit seiner Arbeitsgruppe die Freie Universität verlassen. Unterstützt durch das Heisenberg-Programm der DFG wird er seine Forschung von gasverarbeitenden Metallenzymen an einem anderen Ort weiterführen. Wir wünschen Sven für die Zukunft viel Erfolg und alles Gute!

Jan 19, 2023

DFG project approved for AG Kozuch - Influence of electrostatics on protein misfolding at membranes in neurodegenerative diseases

Based on a DFG-funded project, the Kozuch working group will investigate the influence of the lipid membrane - in particular its electrostatic properties - on the misfolding of proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. Methodologically, we will use surface-enhanced (SEIRA) and nano-infrared spectroscopy (based on atomic force microscopy) in combination with membrane model systems. Interested candidates for a doctoral thesis within this project can contact Dr. Contact Jacek Kozuch ( jacek.kozuch@fu-berlin.de ). Call for applications: https://www.fu-berlin.de/universitaet/beruf-karriere/jobs/wiss/20_fb-physik/PH-KO5464-5.html

Apr 29, 2022

Science paper on NmHR has been released

Chloride transport by microbial rhodopsins is an essential process for which molecular details—such as the mechanisms that convert light energy to drive ion pumping and ensure the unidirectionality of the transport—have remained elusive. We combined time-resolved serial crystallography with time-resolved spectroscopy and multiscale simulations to elucidate the molecular mechanism of a chloride pumping rhodopsin and the structural dynamics throughout the transport cycle. We traced transient anion binding sites, obtained evidence for how light energy is used in the pumping mechanism, and identified steric and electrostatic molecular gates ensuring unidirectional transport. An interaction with the π-electron system of the retinal supports transient chloride ion binding across a major bottleneck in the transport pathway. These results allow us to propose key mechanistic features enabling finely controlled chloride transport across the cell membrane in this light powered chloride ion pump. This work has been created in a collaboration between the SFB 1078 (C6 Schapiro and B3 Heberle), the ETH Zürich, and the PSI Villigen.

Feb 03, 2022

DFG project granted for AG Kozuch - Understanding Antibiotic Resistance and Enzymatic Catalysis by Combining Computational and Experimental Molecular Biophysics

As part of a DFG-third-party funded project, the Kozuch group will explore the relationship between the evolution of antibiotic resistance and the physical forces or non-covalent interactions that exist within enzymatic catalysts. Towards this goal, we will make use of a combined approach of computational and experimental vibrational spectroscopy in defined, external electric fields. Interested candidates for a doctoral thesis within this project to are invited to contact Dr. Jacek Kozuch ( jacek.kozuch@fu-berlin.de ).

Jan 03, 2022

Offener Hörsaal: Prof. Dr. Joachim Heberle - Vortrag "Verantwortung für die eigene Forschung"

Biophysiker und der Ombudsmann Prof. Dr. Joachim Heberle spricht bei einem öffentlichen Vortrag über die Verantwortung, die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler für die eigene Forschung tragen. Hybrider Vortrag im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung "Offener Hörsaal: Ambivalenz der Wissenschaften – Nutzen und Schaden"

Nov 25, 2021

The Moderator

Focus on “Good Research Practice”: An Interview with Professor of Physics Joachim Heberle, Head of the Newly Established Office of the Central Ombudsperson at Freie Universität Berlin

Jul 02, 2021

Konfliktfrei Publizieren – Erfahrungen des „Ombudsman für die Wissenschaft“

Prof. Dr. Joachim Heberle, Mitglied im Ombudsgremium, und Dr. Hjördis Czesnick, Leiterin der Geschäftsstelle des Ombudsman für die Wissenschaft, berichten über typische Konflikte in natur- und lebenswissenschaftlichen Arbeitsgruppen, die im Zusammenhang mit der Publikation von Forschungsdaten aufkommen können. Im Vordergrund steht die Frage, wie Konflikte, z.B. auch Betreuungskonflikte, vermieden werden können.

May 20, 2021