Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg Region
Dr. Dietmar Manstein is Professor and Chair of the Institutes for Biophysical Chemistry and Structural Biochemistry at Hannover Medical School. The objective of his work is the characterization of molecular motors and proteins that regulate dynamic changes of cytoskeletal and membranous structures. The coordinated generation of movement and force is essential for basic processes such as cell division, chromosome segregation, endocytosis, exocytosis, axonal transport, and muscle contraction. His experiments address the role of isoform-specific differences, disease-causing mutations, and drugs by integrating information derived from examining contractile events at several levels of organization. At the single molecule level, the work examines the basic design and function of the molecular motors, actin filaments, and regulatory proteins using highly-sensitive and fast techniques to follow chemical, spectroscopic, and mechanical changes. These studies are usually combined with protein engineering and high-resolution structural analyses. The determination of three-dimensional structures of bio-macromolecules and their complexes with small ligands is performed using X-ray crystallography. The results of these measurements provide insights into the catalytic mechanism of enzymes, the mode of action of small-molecule effectors, and support the development of therapeutic drugs. Hybrid approaches, which combine analysis by X-ray crystallography with cryo-electron microscopy or the analysis of hydrodynamic properties, are used to solve the structures of larger protein complexes. Here, the results can provide insights into long-range communication pathways, regulatory mechanisms, and the effects of disease causing mutations. At the level of isolated cells, his research program uses the information gained from kinetic and structural studies, to address the role of proteins in supporting motile functions and the potential of small ligands as therapeutic drugs.
Member of the MHH Senate, Speaker of the professorial group (2011 - 2013, 2015 - 2019) Member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg Editor of FEBS Letters Editor of FEBS openbio
The CSSB devotes itself to infection biology and medicine by utilizing structural and molecular biology methods and imaging techniques in conjunction with systems biology approaches. Our purpose is to unravel the underlying mechanisms of important pathogenic processes in order to discover more effective treatment options against bacterial and viral pathogens. To achieve this goal, CSSB uses the world-class research infrastructures on the DESY campus. CSSB is a joint initiative of ten research partners from Northern Germany, including three universities and six research institutes. We endeavor to become a leading international research centre in the city of Hamburg.