I’m originally from a small town in Germany not too far from the capital, Berlin. After having completed my BSc. in Northern Germany (University of Rostock) with a focus on Marine Microbiology and my MSc. Northern Bavaria (University of Bayreuth) focusing on protein evolution and electron transfer, I’d decided of going “full south” for my PhD.

During my doctoral studies at the “Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines” (BIP) laboratory in Marseille (Aix-Marseille Université) in France, I have focused on questions related to the origin of life and proton-coupled electron transfer in bioenergetics, foremost a relatively recently discovered mechanism termed “flavin-based electron bifurcation” (short FBEB). During these 4.5 years at the BIP lab, I have tried to characterize multimeric hydrogenases, HydABC(D), from a sulphate-reducing bacteria (Desulfuvibrio fructosovorans) and later from a hyperthermophilic bacteria (Thermotoga maritima), which perform the FBEB mechanism to realize the overall reaction.

I have employed different spectroscopic techniques (foremost EPR- and UV/Vis-absorbance spectroscopy, but also fluorescence, CD and DLS) to determine equilibrium redox potentials of the organic (flavins) and metallic cofactors (FeS-clusters), while using chemical reductants/oxidants and electrochemical approaches.

My work has a strong bias on anaerobic systems (enzymes, minerals, complexes) and during this PostDoc, I’m trying to apply and enlarge my knowledge of hydrogenases and electron transfer at the MILTON lab, while learning new molecular and biophysical methods to study the hydrogen evolution in these enzymes.

While in Marseille at the Mediterranean Sea only the last stretches of the Alps can be seen and experienced, Genève of course is much closer to it. Outside of the lab, I therefore enjoy getting to know the region on hiking trips or via bus/trains/bike. If the weather doesn’t allow that (which happens definitely more often in Genève as in Marseille), I like visiting museums/cultural sites or engage in the active production of art (painting, building, photography etc.) myself.