Description of the group
The International Institute Zittau (IHIZ), a former small state university
in Saxony in the triangle where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet,
has been, since January 2013, a Central Academic Unit of the Dresden University
of Technology (
TUDresden), the only excellence university in East Germany.
IHIZ was founded in 1993 and is especially dedicated to the joint education of
German and foreign Master and PhD students (
International Institute Zittau).
Mycologists of the TUDresden during field campaign – R. Ullrich and A. Karich
searching for rare, lignocellulytic fungi as new enzyme producer on dead
wood in guidance with Claus Bässler in the Bavarian Forest National Park
(Germany, Photo: H. Kellner)
The Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences consists of five research
groups (Mycology & Enzymology, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry,
Environmental Process Engineering, Hydrology) and has, at the moment, 26 members
(3 technicians, 4 Master-, 13 PhD students, 2 postdocs, 2 senior scientists,
2 professors). Moreover, more than 50 visiting scientists from 14 countries
have worked over the last years at the department.
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (Photo: A. Karich)
The research line of the department deals with the
functional biodiversity
of microbial enzymes, with special emphasis on the biodegradation of natural polymers
and the oxyfunctionalization of organic molecules. During the last years,
the scientific interest has focused onto peroxygenases, their catalytic
cycle, molecular background and eco-physiological relevance.
-
Dr. Harald Kellner
-
Dr. Christiane Liers
-
Dr. Rene Ullrich
Within the
EnzOx2 project, the following people will be
involved:
Martin Hofrichter (professor, head of the department
with >150 publications),
Christiane Liers (assistant professor),
René Ullrich (PhD, senior scientist),
Harald Kellner
(PhD, postdoc),
Marzena Poraj-Kobielska (PhD, Postdoc),
Alexander Karich (PhD student) and
Ulrike Schneider
(technician). Moreover, graduates preparing their MSc theses will be involved
in the experimental work.
-
Dr. Marzena Poraj-Kobjelska
-
MSc. Alexander Karich
Main role in EnzOx2
TUDresden will focus on fungal peroxygenases, their selection, performance in the conversion
of HMF to FDCA and in the oxyfunctionalization of terpenoids including steroids as well as
on molecular aspects of their stability. Furthermore TUDresden will collaborate with JenaBios
in the production of wild-type peroxygenases and AAOs.
Analysis of enzymatically formed products (HPLC and spectrophotometer)
(Photo: R. Ullrich)