17. December 2020 | Magazine:

DFG Funds Life Sciences Research Group Research network investigates synthetic development of cytochalasans

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is establishing seven new research groups. One of them is the research network “CytoLabs – Systematic Investigation and Exploitation of Cytochalasans”, in which life scientists from the TU Braunschweig are significantly involved.

Over the next four years, the research group will work on the synthetic exploitation and biological investigation of cytochalasans, a large class of fungal metabolites with diverse biological activities. So-called cytochalasans are natural substances produced by fungi that have different effects at the cellular level of other organisms. Hundreds of different cytochalasans are known, but systematic studies of their respective modes of action are still lacking. With the help of synthetic chemistry and synthetic biology, the research group “CytoLabs – Systematic Investigation and Exploitation of Cytochalasans” (FOR5170) aims to produce known and new cytochalasans. In addition, chemical modifications will be incorporated to create molecular tools from the natural substances. These will be brought together in a substance library.

Two million euros approved

A total of about two million euros has been approved for the research network. Of this amount, 300,500 euros will go to the research group of Dr. Philipp Klahn, Institute of Organic Chemistry at the TU Braunschweig, for the total synthetis of [13]cytochalasanes and the semi-synthetic derivatisation of cytochalasanes. The spokesperson of the research group is Professor Dr. Russell J. Cox from the Leibniz Universität Hannover.

Other participating scientists from the TU Braunschweig are:

  • Professor Theresia Stradal, Department Cell Biology at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Zoological Institute of the TU Braunschweig and Professor Klemens Rottner, Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the Zoological Institute of the TU Braunschweig: Systematic Characterization of Cytochalasan Activities on Actin Dynamics in Mammalian Cells
  • Professor Marc Stadler: Department Microbial Drugs at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and TU Braunschweig: Discovery and Broad Biological Characterization of New Cytochalasans and Curated Compound Library/ Discovery and Biological Characterization of New Cytochalasans and Curated Compound Library