Aller au contenu principal
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
Rechercher
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

Hauptnavigation

  • Labs & User ServicesOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Overview
    • Research at PSI
    • Research Divisions and Labs
    • Facilities and Instruments
    • Research Initiatives
    • PSI User Labs
    • Scientific Highlights
    • Scientific Events
    • Scientific Career
    • Useroffice
  • VisiteursOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Aperçu
    • Contact
    • Comment nous trouver
    • Manifestations
    • Centre de visiteurs psi forum
    • Schülerlabor iLab
    • Centre de protonthérapie
  • IndustrieOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Aperçu
    • Le transfert de technologie
    • Entreprises spin-off
    • PARK innovAARE
  • Notre rechercheOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Actualités de notre recherche
    • Matière et matériaux
    • L'Homme et la santé
    • Energie et environnement
    • Grands instruments de recherche
    • Brochures
    • Films
    • Pour les médias
  • Carrière & FormationOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Offres d'emploi
    • Politique du personnel
    • Travailler au PSI
    • Equal Opportunities, Diversity & Inclusion
    • Formation initiale et formation continue
    • Formation professionnelle
    • Centre de Formation du PSI
    • Programme de soutien "PSI Career Return Program"
    • PSI-FELLOW/COFUND
  • Sur le PSIOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Le PSI en bref
    • Stratégie
    • Chartes
    • Chiffres et faits
    • Organisation
    • Fournisseurs
    • Clients – e-facture
    • Infrastructure informatique (en allemand et en anglais)
    • Sécurité au PSI (en allemand)

Vous êtes ici:

  1. PSI Home
  2. Labs & User Services
  3. BIO
  4. LBR
  5. Research and Support

Navigation secondaire

Laboratory of Biomolecular Research

  • Research
  • People
  • Scientific Highlights
  • Support and Facilities
  • Publications
  • Emeriti / Alumni

Info message

Ce contenu n'est pas disponible en français.

LBR research topics and support activities

Biomolecular Complexes

Proteins and their interaction networks are at the heart of life. Understanding how diverse proteins come together spatially and temporally and how their specific complexes translate into cellular functions is important to understand health and disease but represents a major challenge. Microtubules are filamentous structures fundamentally involved in diverse cellular processes ranging from cell division, motility and polarity to signaling and intracellular transport. They are also key to form centrioles of centrosomes and axonemes of cilia and flagella. Because of their important role for cell survival, the malfunctioning of the microtubule cytoskeleton is associated with several severe human pathologies including cancer and various forms of ciliopathies as well as cardiovascular, infectious and brain diseases. We use X-ray crystallography in combination with biochemical and biophysical methods to investigate how proteins and drugs regulate the structure, function and dynamics of the microtubule cytoskeleton.

Michel Steinmetz, Laboratory head and group leader
Regulation of microtubule structure, function and dynamics

Andrea Prota, Scientist
Molecular mechanisms of microtubule-targeting agents

Natacha Olieric, Scientist
Microtubule cytoskeleton of parasites

Ashwani Sharma, Scientist
Parasite structural biology

In memory of Guido Capitani (1970 – 2017)

 

Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins

Class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCRs) transduce extracellular signals across the cell membrane by activating cytoplasmic-bound heterotrimeric GTP binding proteins (G proteins), which, in turn, modulate the activity of downstream effector proteins. Despite the physiological and pharmacological relevance of GPCRs, the structural basis of ligand efficacy and receptor activation, and how these elements translate into cytoplasmic trafficking and cellular response still remain elusive. We integrate data from structural biology, molecular biology, cellular biology and structural bioinformatics to study the molecular basis of GPCR function. In addition, we compare the profile of activated signaling molecules with their dynamic intracellular localization pattern to learn how receptor activation translates into specific pathways of cellular signaling. Our overreaching goal is to link receptor structure, cellular biological data and pharmacological results to physiological function.

Gebhard Schertler, Division head and group leader
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)

Valerie Paneels, Scientist
Rhodopsin dynamics and retina tissue imaging

Ching-Ju Tsai, Scientist
Signalling through membrane proteins

Xavier Deupi, Scientist
Molecular basis of activation in G protein-coupled receptors

Pathogen Host Interactions

Microbial pathogens cause billions of infections and millions of deaths per year. Detailed knowledge of host-pathogen interactions is therefore fundamental to develop measures to treat infectious diseases caused by microbial pathogens. Using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy combined with biochemical and biophysical methods, we study proteins that are relevant for infectious diseases,  including botulinum neurotoxin, their receptors and the oxaloactetate decarboxylase complex. Furthermore, we collaborate with industrial and academic partners on microbial pathogen-related research projects that are critically dependent on the availability of high-quality recombinant proteins and their biophysical and structural characterization.

Richard Kammerer, Group leader
Botulinum Neurotoxins and Receptors

Xiaodan Li, Scientist
Structure and function of Membrane proteins related to ion transport

Time-Resolved Crystallography

Protein function is critically dependent on coordinated motions induced by interactions with ligands, other proteins or changes in environment. Insights into the complex structures of proteins and knowledge of protein motions throughout their conformational landscape have tremendous impact on biology. The dynamic interaction between ligands and their protein partners is the molecular basis for pharmacological intervention in human disease.
We are using cutting edge X-ray technologies to track ligand-protein interactions over time and resolve conformational states important for protein function. To achieve this aim we firmly establish time-resolved serial crystallography at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) and the Swiss Free Electron Laser (SwissFEL). Structural snapshots over time are complemented with spectroscopy and computational simulations to provide clear cause-and-effect descriptions of stepwise structural rearrangements in a range of protein targets including membrane pumps and G protein-coupled receptors.

Jörg Standfuss, Group leader
Serial crystallography using synchrotron radiation and free electron lasers

Tobias Weinert, Scientist
Serial crystallography

Mechanisms of Signal Transduction

Interactions between the cell and its environment, as well as between cellular compartments, occur at the biological membranes. A variety of membrane proteins and protein complexes perform tasks associated with the reception of the extracellular signals and conversion of those signals into biochemical responses inside the cell. We are using protein biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology (X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM) to investigate the structure and function of membrane proteins involved in signal transduction.

Volodymyr Korkhov, Group leader
Structure and function of membrane proteins involved in cholesterol recognition and signal transduction

Vocational Training and Chemical Management

The Vocational Training and Chemical Management group has its focus on the following three topics: (i) Vocational training for technicians in chemistry; (ii) PSI wide chemical management; (iii) Laboratory support for the LBR and the LNB.

Can Pinarci, Group leader

 

Sidebar

Contact


MichelSteinmetz.png

Prof. Michel O. Steinmetz
Head of the Laboratory of Biomolecular Research

Paul Scherrer Institut
Department of Biology and Chemistry
OFLC/102
Forschungsstrasse 111
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Phone: +41 56 310 47 54
Fax: +41 56 310 21 99
michel.steinmetz@psi.ch


Secretariat

Anita Strittmatter
Secretary

Paul Scherrer Institut
Department of Biology and Chemistry
OFLC/108
Forschungsstrasse 111
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Phone: +41 56 310 20 35
Fax: +41 56 310 21 99
anita.strittmatter@psi.ch

BIO Open positions

current opening at Research Division Biology and Chemistry

Itinéraire PSI

Comment nous trouver (l'itinéraire et plan d'accès)
top

Pied de page

Paul Scherrer Institut

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Suisse
Comment nous trouver 

Impressum 
Conditions d'utilisation

Login

Téléphone: +41 56 310 21 11
Téléfax: +41 56 310 21 99
Formulaire de contact 

Centre de visiteurs psi forum
Laboratoire élèves iLab (en allemand)
Centre de protonthérapie

Suivez le PSI: Twitter (en allemand) LinkedIn Youtube Issuu RSS

Quicklinks

  • ​Annuaire/Liste de contacts
  • Digital User Office
  • Transfert de technologie
  • Publications du PSI
  • Computing (en anglais)
  • Sicherheit (en allemand)
  • Offres d'emploi
  • Berufsbildung (en allemand)
  • Fournisseurs
  • Clients – e-facture
  • PSI Guest House (en anglais)
  • PSI Gastronomie (en allemand)

Pour les médias

  • Contact destiné aux médias
  • Communiqués de presse
  • Social Media Newsroom
  • Chiffres et faits
  • Le PSI en bref
  • Films
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR