Molecular Cell Biology and Chemical Biology of Phosphatases

Within intracellular signaling networks, protein phosphatases contribute to reversible changes in the phosphorylation of proteins and play crucial roles in the development of diseases. Chemical tools enable to study and modulate the functions and regulation of phosphatases and their contribution to signaling networks. We investigate biochemical mechanisms and biological roles, signaling pathways and substrates of certain phosphatases using biochemical and molecular cell biological approaches. In addition, we develop chemical tools that can be used to address the function of phosphatases in basic research and, as a long term goal, therapeutically. To support studies of phosphatases, we have set up and maintain an open access database for human phosphatases (www.depod.org).

The laboratory consists of molecular cell biologists and organic chemists. We started at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg in 2007, worked at the University of Freiburg from 2016 to 2024, and moved to the Institute of Cell Biology at the University of Bonn in October 2024.