Center for Systems Biology

Research

Exploring and understanding biological systems at the molecular level with a tool set offered by modern chemistry is the common motif of my research interests. As a Chemical Biologist I find it intriguing to use small organic compounds, either derived from nature or by rational design, to study complex biological processes with a resolution that is neither offered by genetic nor biochemical approaches. Consequently the research in my lab is centered on the interface of biology and organic synthetic chemistry, in particular the synthesis of diversity-oriented-synthesis (DOS) derived libraries for biochemical and in vitro screening, as well as the development of small molecule tool compounds and novel biochemical assay systems for high-throughput screening. One major focus in my group is in the development of subtype specific histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. HDACs have originally been discovered as chromatin modifying enzymes, however, recent research suggests that regulation of non-histone proteins by acetylation is more abundant than originally anticipated and comparable to other posttranslational modifications. The development of HDAC inhibitors (as tool compounds or as drug) has paid little attention to subtype specificity, which is limiting the applicability of these compounds. Our goal is it to understand the features that convey selectivity and to develop tools to selectively study the function of HDACs isoforms (in particular class II enzymes) in cellular systems.

Publications