This is the one big thing I really don't understand. Even if you don't care about the environment / climate change, you should prefer the cheapest possible ways to generate electricity - solar and wind. How can we teach the public that renewables are best in their own economic interest? #B1804
Check it out here if you are interested in this natural product mechanistic work: doi.org/10.1021/acs....
Valerie did a great job studying the effects of AETX on cells (so many different cool assays!), and was awarded for the hard work with her manuscript being selected as cover story in Chem. Res. Toxicol.
Elucidating the mode of action of AETX took so long because three proposals I wrote to fund this research were rejected over the years. I am happy that at some point I had a university-funded position for a PhD student available.
We finally have solved the toxin's mode of action: It is a protonophore that dissipates the mitochondrial membrane potential and thus uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in a lack of energy (ATP) in affected cells. ☠️
Highlight #4 – Mode of Action of Aetokthonotoxin. Remember our “bald eagle killer” story and the neurotoxic alkaloid #aetokthonotoxin (#AETX) we discovered from the #cyanobacterium Aetokthonos hydrillicola? (paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/..., behind-the-scenes thread: bsky.app/profile/nied...)
Grateful to @dfg.de and @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social for making this possible. In addition to the MSD, we were also able to purchase an HPLC system and a cryotome needed for our #ImagingMS work. Let the data collection begin! 😁
Highlight #3 – New Mass Spectrometer. Mass spectrometry is the heartbeat of our research, so it was tough to leave behind our Q Exactive plus when we left the University of Halle. But we have found a worthy successor with our new timsTOF flex MALDI-2! 🎉
I chose to speak about the ongoing COVID pandemic, COVID-related policies, long-term consequences for both individual health and society, and the role of indoor air quality in public health – topics that are very important to me (besides natural products, of course 😀).
Highlight #2 – One of my personal highlights at the end of 2025 was the invitation to give the keynote speech at the BPhD (Federal Association of Pharmacy Students in Germany) meeting in Berlin, organized by our students. Great to see so many engaged students who care for the future of our field.
With the award money (and some additional money from our institute's student council and my startup funds), I have bought a table tennis plate which will (hopefully soon!) be set up behind our institute. 🏓
Highlight #1 – Teaching Award. I’m incredibly honoured that I have been awarded with the 2025 Teaching Award from our students. Research milestones are great, but being recognized by the people in the lecture hall is truly special. A huge thank you to the students for the nomination!
OK, let’s continue with other highlights from the past months. I will restrict myself to the top 4 highlights, as 4 is my lucky number… 🙃
She did a fantastic job - five manuscripts published and more still to come. I am happy she has decided to stay with the team as permanent staff scientist and head of the lab’s natural product chemistry sub-team!
Last but not least... Congratulations to Franziska! 🎉 PhD student #10 leaving the group, also part of the “second gen PhD students”. Franziska focused on advanced mass spec data evaluation and halogenated specialized metabolites from #cyanobacteria. #proudPI
Her research resulted in a staggering five publications. A major highlight was her work on the localization of #conium alkaloids in the plant's tissues, which earned the cover of the Journal of Natural Products. Read it here: doi.org/10.1021/acs....
Next one... Congratulations to Diana! 🎉 PhD student #9 leaving the group, also part of the “second gen PhD students”. Diana has worked intensely on #imaging mass spectrometry and natural products from fungal #endophytes. #proudPI
Her publication on this topic landed the cover of the JNP and was selected as Editor’s Choice. Read it here: doi.org/10.1021/acs..... #NaturalProducts
Congratulations to Laura! PhD student #8 leaving the group, and part of the “second gen PhD students” who started their work with me at the University of Halle. Despite a rocky start through Covid lockdowns, she did a great job characterizing #microcystin derivatives! #proudPI
I’ve been quiet for a few months, but the lab definitely has been busier than my feed. There’s a lot to catch up on, so I’ll try to share the most important stuff we have been doing throughout the coming week. I hope that by Friday, we’ll finally be back in the present. 🙃
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Toblerone chemistry actually is more complex than you might imagine...
I am currently moving from Twitter to Bluesky - the transferred tweets have the wrong timestamp on the top right, but the archive date and order is OK... 🙃
Interested in natural product producing microorganisms? 🦠 See you in Berlin... 😀
Tut gut, das zu lesen, dafür setzen sich die Professor:innen der Pharmazie schon länger ein. Der Entwurf liegt auf dem Tisch, alle Betroffenen haben diskutiert - jetzt ist "die Politik" am Zug...
Interessanter Fund: Es gibt genau eine Partei, die die Aktualisierung der AAppO so wichtig fand, dass sie dieses Thema in ihr Wahlprogramm aufgenommen hat - @gruene.de: "Wir setzen uns für eine Novellierung der Approbationsordnungen des Pharmazie- und Medizinstudiums ein." 👍
Feel free to unfollow me here on X if this gets too annoying for you... See you at BlueSky!
As you might know, we have important elections coming up in Germany. I'll stop using X afterwards. However, as I love science, facts, honestry, democracy, it is difficult for me to be silent atm. So... I might use this account for some campaigning over the next few days.🙃