I grew up in Germany, before moving to the Netherlands for my bachelor’s and master’s degree. During the third year of my bachelor’s in chemistry I realized that Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are way more interesting to me compared to other Chemistry related fields. I started working on the protein kinase LRRK2, which is a major player in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s diseases for my bachelor’s project in the Cell-Biochemistry group of Profs. Arjan Kortholt. This project involving the in-cellular testing of stapled peptides was the point, where I decided to study Molecular Biology in my master’s. In my two large master’s research projects I worked for ten months on the successful development and in-vitro testing of a peptidomimetic dimerization interface inhibitor for LRRK2, as a research tool and alternative approach for kinase inhibition. In my second research I worked on the maturation and excretion machinery of the antimicrobial peptide nisin in the Molecular Genetics group of Profs. Oscar Kuipers. Understanding the mechanism and function of this cellular machinery can lead to the development of novel antimicrobial peptides with novel structures and targets. Due to the outbreak of Covid, the project was completely in-silico. I proposed a possible complex structure based on docking results, fitting the current knowledge about nisin maturation and export. This proposed insilico complex can by tested in the future by mutagenesis combined with affinity assays, production assays and biophysical characterization on the proposed sites, which are based on hotspot identification. After finishing my master’s degree in Biomolecular Sciences at the RUG in Groningen, I moved to Norway to start my PhD in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biophysics under Profs. Richard Engh. I found my passion and work, like previously, on protein kinases with the goal to understand and exploit their dynamic structure.
