New Humboldt Professor Deindl brings structural biology to Tübingen!

New Humboldt Professor Deindl brings structural biology to Tübingen!

The University of Tübingen has a new star in the academic sky: Professor Sebastian Deindl will work as Alexander von Humboldt Professor in the field of structural biology. The returnee from Sweden brings a breath of fresh air with him, having most recently conducted research at Uppsala University, where he was active at the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology. How idw-online.de reports, Deindl's professorship will be funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation with an impressive five million euros over five years.

In the future, Professor Deindl will work at the Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen and dedicate himself to an exciting challenge. His research areas include the molecular structure of large biological substances, especially proteins and their complex interactions. He pursues an innovative approach that focuses on the dynamic aspects of the structure of biological macromolecules. This goes beyond the static view and offers a more comprehensive view of the molecular machines that control vital processes such as DNA replication in our body cells Humboldt Foundation explained.

Research with perspective

The prevailing insight in Deindl's work is that these molecular machines, which are only a few nanometers in size, are dynamic and always in motion. This often makes traditional static models inadequate. The professor uses a combination of single-molecule fluorescence imaging, structural biology techniques and computer simulations. His goal is to create moving images of these machines in order to better understand their function.

These advanced methods are intended not only to expand our knowledge of the structure of proteins and protein complexes, but also to increase relevance for medical research, particularly in enzymes that interact with nucleic acids. The applicability extends to relevant diseases such as cancer, which underlines the importance of this research. The field of structural biology is to be raised to a high international level through the integration of dynamic studies, which should bring the University of Tübingen further recognition.

Academic career

But Deindl is not just a researcher who works passionately on important topics; his academic career is also notable. He began his studies at the University of Tübingen, where he received his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley in 2009. After his time as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, he became Professor of Molecular Biophysics at Uppsala University in 2014. During this time he has been awarded several awards, including the EMBO Young Investigator Award in 2019 and an ERC Starting Grant in 2017 and an ERC Advanced Grant in 2022.

The official award ceremony for Deindl's Humboldt Professorship is planned for May 2026, and it remains to be seen what other significant findings this capable scientist will achieve in structural biology and its applications in the medical field, as he has already impressively demonstrated in his career to date.