Biophysik II

Role of Lipids in the Regulation of Transport Processes across biological membranes

We aim for a holistic molecular description how specific lipids regulate transport of ions, nutrients and compatible solutes across cell membranes and between chemically distinct organelles. Diverse chemo-physical stimuli are involved the regulation of membrane channels and carriers; some of them are linked to the adaptation to environmental stress. Although these sensing and regulation mechanisms are very divers in all three kingdoms of life the common theme is an essential role of the lipids in stimuli perception and signal transduction. By solving atomic structures of individual transporters and channels in their native membrane environment and in complex with regulatory proteins in combination with functional measurements and spectroscopy we want to determine a molecular movie of lipid-mediated transport regulation.