Vanderbilt / Leipzig University – Page 2 – Research and Education Exchange Program

Lecture on “Innovative Computational Methods for Protein Structure Prediction, Drug Discovery, and Therapeutic Design” at Leipzig University

10, 2017
Events, News

Biochemical Colloquium – Special Topics in Biochemistry: Prof. Dr. Jens Meiler, Center for Structural Biology, Departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville Tenessee Date October 24, 2017 / 5 PM Venue Leipzig University, ITP – Institute for Theoretical Physics, Lecture Hall, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Backround The protein folding problem – i.e. predicting the three-dimensional structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence alone – is an unsolved problem in computational biology. I will present a novel computational approach to this problem that assembles protein tertiary structure from predicted secondary structure elements. I will demonstrate how this algorithm can be combined with limited EPR- and NMR-spectroscopic

Lecture on “G PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTORS: FROM CLONING TO FUNCTIONAL READ-OUT” at Vanderbilt University

09, 2017
Events

Syllabus – CPBP 330 – Special Topics in Protein Biochemistry Dr. Dr. Ines Liebscher Leipzig University, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry Date 02 – 06 October 2017 Venue Departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biomedical Informatics, Center for Structural Biology, and Institute of Chemical Biology, 465 21st Ave South, BIOSCI/MRBIII, Room 5131, Nashville, TN 37232-8725 This course will focus on both the theoretical background and practical considerations in modern molecular cloning techniques and the functional read-out of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Upon completion of this course students will be able to successfully apply and optimize cloning techniques in their projects and specifically to plan and evaluate experimental setups to analysis GPCR signal

International Cooperation: Max-Kade Foundation extends the international fellowship program between Nashville and Leipzig

02, 2017
News

The Center of Structural Biology (Vanderbilt University) and the Institute of Biochemistry (Leipzig University) has secured funds for an international fellowship program from the Max Kade Foundation for the period 2017 to 2021. The Max Kade Foundation takes pride in participating and sponsoring various programs which encourage the exchange of academic ideas among universities and colleges in the United States and in German-speaking countries (www.maxkadefoundation.org). The foundation recently awarded the Vanderbilt-Leipzig research exchange program a second grant to cover the travel and support of six undergraduate student exchanges, as well as two faculty exchanges per year. The students will travel to their respective university and join a research project under a

Apply for Max Kade Scholarship 2017

01, 2017
News

Unique Opportunities in Gaining Research Experience in Germany and USA The Max Kade Foundation (MKF, www.maxkadefoundation.org) supports an international research exchange between Vanderbilt and Leipzig Universities. Specifically, MKF provides funds of three undergraduate students from each university to conduct a 10 week summer internship at the respective partner university in 2017 (May – December). The Max Kade Foundation Scholarship Program is open for highly motivated and excellent foreign applicants with a BSc, MSc or equivalent degrees (obtained during the past year). Internship offer in Leipzig for Undergraduate Students from Vanderbilt University Investigation of allosteric modulation of the human Y4 receptor Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-sickinger / Mario Schubert (Institute of Biophysics) Preparation

DAAD RISE Programm: CALL 2017

09, 2016
News

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) announced a new call for its program “Research Internships in Science and Engineering” (RISE) for summer internship in 2017. The program works in both ways. German and American Ph.D. students submit internship offers for undergraduates students for a duration of 8 to 12 weeks. German bachelor students can work as research interns at U.S. universities and U.S. undergraduates can work in labs of German universities. The DAAD provides stipends to help cover living expenses, the partner universities and research institutes provide housing assistance. The call is applicable for all fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering. Please visit for further

Short report by Henrike Indrischek: Binding Capability of Visual Arrestins to the Coated Pit Machinery at Vanderbilt University (May 05 – July 28)

08, 2016
Uncategorized

by Henrike Indrischek (phd student at Leipzig University): During my research stay at Vanderbilt university this summer, I worked on the biochemical characterization of the interaction of clathrin and visual arrestin in the laboratory of Seva Gurevich and the modeling of this interaction with computational methods in the laboratory of Jens Meiler. The cytosolic arrestin proteins mediate desensitization of activated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) via competitive binding to the active phosphorylated receptor. As different arrestin conformations can result in specific signaling outcomes, this protein family is an attractive target in drug therapeutics. Non-visual arrestins mediate uptake of the receptors into the cell by also binding clathrin, a component of the endocytosis

Researchers of Vanderbilt and Leipzig University discover small-molecule modulators of the human Y4 receptor

07, 2016
Research

(07/04/2016 by Anett Albrecht): A joint publication of Leipzig and Vanderbilt scientists was published in June 2016 in the prestigious journal “PLoS One”. The article continues the series of numerous publications that have emerged already from the long-term collaboration between the Leipzig and Vanderbilt University. Abstract: The human neuropeptide Y4 receptor (Y4R) and its native ligand, pancreatic polypeptide, are critically involved in the regulation of human metabolism by signaling satiety and regulating food intake, as well as increasing energy expenditure. Thus, this receptor represents a putative target for treatment of obesity. With respect to new approaches to treat complex metabolic disorders, especially in multi-receptor systems, small molecule allosteric modulators have been

Lecture on “Regulation of Exocytosis by inhibitory GPCRs and Gbg subunits” at Leipzig University

07, 2016
Events

Biochemical Colloquium – Special Topics in Biochemistry: Prof. Dr. Heidi Hamm, Vanderbilt University Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN, USA Date July 13, 2016 / 3 PM Venue Departments of Bioscience, Pharmacy and Psychology, Institute of Biochemistry, Small Lecture Hall (1st Floor), Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Backround Prof. Hamms work is focused on understanding the molecular basis of signaling mechanisms mediated by G proteins, which are switch proteins. G proteins are normally inactive, but a receptor that has received a specific signal can activate G proteins, leading to changes in the activity of enzymes that produce second messengers such as cyclic AMP and calcium. The resulting changes in cellular activity underlie

Course on “In vitro Preparation of Membrane Proteins – from Target DNA to NMR Spectra” at Vanderbilt University

05, 2016
Events

Graduate Course – Special Topics in Protein Biochemistry Dr. Peter Schmidt, Leipzig University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics Date The class will meet on six days in July always 9:35-12:15. Dates will be finalized with class participants. This is a one credit course. Venue Departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biomedical Informatics, Center for Structural Biology, and Institute of Chemical Biology, 465 21st Ave South, BIOSCI/MRBIII, 5131 MRBIII, Nashville, TN 37232-8725 List of Topics: – Introduction into genetic engineering and recombinant expression (1h) – Membrane proteins, GPCRs, and Y receptors (1h) – Host systems for recombinant membrane protein expression and fermentation process (2h) – Isolation and purification of

Journal of Biological Chemistry selects Vanderbilt-Leipzig article as paper of the week

03, 2016
News, Research

The joint publication of Hu, Stern, Gimenez, Wanka, Zhu, Rossi, Meister, Inoue, Beck-Sickinger, Gurevich and Wess was named as “Paper of the Week” by the Journal of Biological Chemistry’s editorial board, landing it in the top 2 percent of all papers published over the year in the journal. The joint publication focussed on designer receptors exclusively activated by a designer drug – short DREADDs. This are CNO sensitive designer G protein-coupled receptors which are able to activate heterotrimeric G proteins and also trigger arrestin-dependent signaling. In the present study the development of a mutationally modified version of a non-biased DREADD derived from the M3 muscarinic receptor that can activate Gq/11 with

Short report by Mario Schubert: HTS to Identify and Characterize Small Molecule Allosteric Modulators of the Human Y4 Receptor at Vanderbilt University (Oct 19 – Dec 15)

03, 2016
News, Students

During an internship in the lab of Dave Weaver at Vanderbilt University, I got the opportunity to gain more information about the Y4R, by testing a variety of similar structurally related compounds. I was introduced in the workflow of a high throughput screening laboratory. The technical equipment in the Vanderbilt HTS center makes it possible to test thousands of different chemical compounds in a very short time. Therefore, I learned to perform Ca2+-flux based signal transduction screening assays to monitor the activation of the Y4R. Using this system, I could test new hit compounds out of the ongoing screening for activity and selectivity. Furthermore, I tested structurally similar compounds of a

Short Report by Axel Fischer & Gregory Sliwoski: INTEGRATION OF LIMITED EXPERIMENTAL DATA INTO ENSEMBLE PREDICTION at Leipzig University (Nov 14 – Dec 22)

02, 2016
News, Students

The objective of our visit was deepening the collaboration between Leipzig University and Vanderbilt University regarding the integration of limited experimental data into protein ensemble prediction. During this visit Axel Fischer presented a method to integrate cross-linking data into protein structure prediction methods at the 5th Symposium on Structural Proteomics in Halle. Following subsequent discussions with Dr. Stefan Kalkhof and Tommy Hofmann, work on an algorithm to efficiently simulate cross-link conformations was continued. In a preliminary study, the algorithm significantly improves the accuracy with which protein structures can be predicted. Additionally, Axel developed an algorithm to integrate solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) data into the protein structure prediction software BCL::Fold. While

Scientists of Vanderbilt and Leipzig University improved drug effects of Indomethacin

02, 2016
News, Research

(Leipzig/Nashville, 02/03/2016): Scientists at Leipzig University and Vanderbilt University (USA) reduced the side effects of Indomethacin by altering the so-called boron cluster molecule of this drug. This molecule have a spherical shape – composed of boron, hydrogen and carbon atoms. The active ingredient causes an inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which plays an important role in production of inflammations and pain. But Indomethacin also leads to severe side effects. The scientists changed the drug, so that it blocks only the pathological form of the enzyme. The other form, which controls important physiological processes in the body, would barely be affected. The results underline the potential of boron clusters in pharmacytical application

Professor Jens Meiler received Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award

12, 2015
News, Research

(by David Salisbury, Vanderbilt University): Associate Professor of Chemistry Jens Meiler has received a Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany. The award is given to scholars based on their “outstanding research accomplishments and exceptional promise for the future.” Individuals are nominated by German scholars and must have received their Ph.D. in the last 18 years. In addition to a monetary prize, award winners are invited to spend a period of up to one year collaborating on a long-term research project. Meiler, who has an international reputation in the field of structural biology, will be collaborating with colleagues at Leipzig University on studies of

Short Report by Brain Bender: Expression of Y2R Variants for EPR Structural Studies at Leipzig University (Aug 21 – Oct 14)

12, 2015
Students

This fall I was awarded the opportunity to return to Leipzig University to work in the lab of Dr. Daniel Huster. This research exchange corresponded nicely with the 11th International NPY-PYY-PP Conference. At the conference I was able to interact with many people in the field of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its related peptide hormones. At this conference, people from many diverse fields came together to discuss their research. I heard talks on the role of NPY in cancer, obesity, and development of new receptor agonists. This greatly expanded on my knowledge of the physiological role of NPY and its receptors in the brain and throughout the body. One really great

Apply for MAX KADE SHOLARSHIP 2016: Unique Opportunities in Gaining Research Experience in Germany and USA

11, 2015
News, Students

The Max Kade Foundation (MKF, www.maxkadefoundation.org) supports an international research exchange between Vanderbilt and Leipzig Universities. Specifically, MKF provides funds of three undergraduate students from each university to conduct a 10 week summer internship at the respective partner university in 2016 (May – September). The Max Kade Foundation Scholarship Program is open for highly motivated and excellent foreign applicants with a BSc, MSc or equivalent degrees (obtained during the past year). Internship offer in Leipzig for Undergraduate Students at Vanderbilt University (Date: May – August 2016) “Genetic Incorporation of Photocrosslinking Amino Acids: Binding Pattern of β-Arrestins on a Class B GPCR“ Laboratory Principal Investigator: Dr. Irene Coin Graduate Mentor in host

Max-Kade Scholarship 2015: Short-Reports

11, 2015
News, Students

In 2015 eight students on Bachelor- or Master level got the Max-Kade Scholarship to participate in ongoing research projects between Vanderbilt University and the University of Leipzig. Hereby their short research and travel reports are listed… Ryan Xin (Undergraduate Student at Vanderbilt University): Semisynthetic Preparation of Ga Fusion Proteins to Investigate Receptor Interaction (Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger & Stefan Ernicke / May-July 2015) In my time at Leipzig University, I learned a great deal from my mentor, Stefan Ernicke, and the rest of the laboratory. Before my internship with the Max Kade Foundation, I had never worked extensively in molecular biology. After my time with the Beck-Sickinger lab, I

11, 2015
Students

written by Wilma Neumann (postdoctoral associate at Leipzig University): Over the last years, the groups of Prof. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins (Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Leipzig University) and Prof. Larry Marnett (Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine) have developed a very fruitful collaboration, supported by the Leipzig-Vanderbilt collaboration project. Recently, we described a very potent and selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a carborane-containing indomethacin analogue, which exhibits a novel binding mode in the COX enzyme pocket (W. Neumann, S. Xu, M. B. Sárosi, M. S. Scholz, B. C. Crews, K. Ghebreselasie, S. Banerjee, L. J. Marnett, E. Hey-Hawkins, ChemMedChem 2015, DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500199). In September 2015, I returned to Vanderbilt to continue

10, 2015
News

by Gregory Sliwoski (doctoral student at Vanderbilt University): After completing my M.S. in pharmacology from Vanderbilt University under Prof. Dr. Jens Meiler in 2012, I joined Annette Beck-Sickinger’s lab at Leipzig University to further study the neuropeptide Y4 receptor (Y4R). This particular trip is my fourth stay in Leipzig in the collaboration between the labs of Prof. Dr. Jens Meiler (Vanderbilt) and Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger (Leipzig). This collaboration combines computational modeling with cell-based signaling and mutategensis assays to characterize the activation of Y4R and discover new compounds that may enhance Y4R signaling. Signaling through this receptor has been shown to be a potential avenue for treatment of obesity and related

Announcement: Scientific and Methode Modules “COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY WITH ROSETTA” at Leipzig University

10, 2015
Events

This course teach theoretical and practical aspects of computational biology including the integration of Human Genetics with Molecular Modeling. It focus on aspects of protein sequence alignments, secondary structure prediction, comparative modeling, protein-protein and protein-ligand docking, structure-based drug design, virtual screening, the relationship of protein sequence, structure, variation, and disease. This course includes a practical section and is intended for PhDs, PostDocs and Students. Registration Please register until end of November by sending an e-mail to Anett Albrecht ().

OFFERING RESEARCH INTERNSHIP – MAX KADE Scholarship for Students on Bachelor- or Master level: Call 2016

09, 2015
News, Students

The Max Kade Foundation (MKF, www.maxkadefoundation.org) supports an international research exchange between Vanderbilt and Leipzig Universities. Specifically, MKF provides funds of three‐four undergraduate students from each university to conduct a 10 week summer internship at the respective partner university. Travel costs up to $2000 and a weekly stipend of $400 are provided. They target rising junior and rising senior students at Vanderbilt University. To select the recipients of the stipend, they collect research project descriptions from around twenty core laboratories that support the collaboration between Vanderbilt and Leipzig Universities. Descriptions are provided by the graduate student or post‐doctoral mentor who will advise the undergraduate student. It is encouraged that the undergraduate

06, 2015
Events

Center for Structural Biology Dr. Stefan Kalkhof, Post-Doc, Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Proteomics, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany Date 05 June 2015 Venue Center for Structural Biology, 465 21st Ave South, BIOSCI/MRBIII, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37221

Course on “Site-specific protein labeling and incorporation of unnatural amino acids in live cells” at Vanderbilt University

04, 2015
Events

Syllabus – CPBP 330 – Special Topics in Protein Biochemistry Dr. Irene Coin, Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry Date 14 – 21 July 2015 Venue Departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biomedical Informatics, Center for Structural Biology, and Institute of Chemical Biology, 465 21st Ave South, BIOSCI/MRBIII, Room 5144B, Nashville, TN 37232-8725 The student will become familiar with modern techniques to incorporate labels and biophysical probes into intact proteins, including chemical synthesis, enzymatic modification, biorthogonal labeling and direct ribosomal incorporation of unnatural moieties.

It is the sound of music – a remarkable partnership: Researchers from Leipzig and Nashville investigate molecular mechanisms

03, 2015
News

by Carsten Heckmann (LUMAG, 01-2015, 03/12/2015): To name the cities of Leipzig and Nashville in a sentence, could comes up with the idea: it could go on music. Classic here – Country there. But this is no topic for this research report. There is also the research field biochemistry – with a remarkable partnership between both universities. To bridge 7,500 kilometer is not difficult for Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger and Prof. Dr. Jens Meiler (Vanderbilt University). Sometimes they feel more like neighbors. “We work extremely well together,” says the Leipzig professor at the Institute of Biochemistry. More than 20 joint publications have appeared since 2008, emerged from around 30 joint projects.

03, 2015
News

by Peter Schmidt (postdoc at Leipzig University): GPCRs have been shown to play a crucial role in a variety of diseases, such as obesity, metabolic diseases and cancer. Accordingly, they are an attractive target for the investigation of new pharmaceuticals. Di-carba-closo-dodecaboranes(12) (closo-C2B12H12 or carbaboranes) were recently established as pharmacophores. Their unique properties (hydrophobicity, three-dimensional aromaticity, etc.) make them interesting targets for drug development. In this project, specific carbaborane derivatives will be prepared and used either as conjugates with peptides of the melanotropin (MSH) or neuropeptide Y (NPY) family, or as small molecules that impart their action via GPCRs to study and understand their influence on the selectivity and activity. NPY binds

Max-Kade Scholarship 2014: Short-Reports

10, 2014
News, Students

2014 eight students on Bachelor- or Master level got the Max-Kade Scholarship to participate in ongoing research projects between Vanderbilt University and the University of Leipzig. Hereby there short research and travel reports:

Scientific and Methode Modules “Computational Structural Biology with ROSETTA”

10, 2014
Events

Date 08 – 19 December 2014 Venue Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ), Seminar room 1.1, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig Responsible scientists Prof. Dr. Jens Meiler (Vanderbilt University) Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger (Leipzig University) Dr. Jonathan Sheehan (Vanderbilt University) Dr. Rene Meier (Leipzig University) Aims Teach theoretical and practical aspects of computational structural biology using the Rosetta software. Basics Biochemistry, amino acid structure, peptide bond, secondary structure, tertiary structure, small molecule binding, central dogma of molecular biology Contents Theoretical and practical aspects of protein sequence alignments, secondary structure prediction, comparative modeling, protein-protein and protein-ligand docking. Structure-based drug design, virtual screening. This course includes a laboratory sectio Methods Computational Algorithms Examination Final Written Exam

10, 2014
News

by Antje Brüser (postdoc at Leipzig University): I had the possibility to join Vanderbilt University from March 26th – July 11th 2014 as a visiting scholar to initiate a new project between our group (headed by Prof. Torsten Schöneberg) and the group of Prof. Larry Marnett. We focus in our lab on orphan G-protein coupled receptors (oGPCR) and the Marnett lab is working on COX inhibitors. Since years they have been interested in products of the COX-2 pathway and the identification of receptors which they bind to. In our new cooperation we have the knowledge and expertise to search and functional analysis of oGPCR. During my stay at the Marnett lab

07, 2014
News

by Wilma Neumann (doctoral student at Leipzig University): After a successful start-up of a new collaboration project last autumn followed by a joint publication earlier this year, the group of Prof. Larry Marnett again welcomed me in their lab during my second research stay at Vanderbilt between May 21st and June 21st, 2014. Continuing our project on conjugates of cisplatin and COX inhibitors for use as antitumor agents, Brenda Crews, Cristina Daniel, and Kebreab Ghebreselasie actively supported me with the biological evaluation of new conjugates I had prepared in Leipzig. I am also very thankful to Cristina for introducing me to further molecular biology techniques and for her great effort performing

Research stay at the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)

06, 2014
News, Research, Uncategorized

by Thomas Ebert (postdoc at Leipzig University): From January 3rd, 2014 – April 4th 2014, I had the opportunity to stay at the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Nashville, Tennessee as a visiting scholar. In our group in Leipzig (headed by Prof. Mathias Fasshauer), we focus on adipocyte-secreted proteins, so called adipokines, in renal dysfunction. To investigate adipokines in diabetic nephropathy (DN), a severe consequence of long-term diabetes mellitus, animal studies are vitally important. The group of Prof. Raymond C. Harris (Chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at VUMC) introduced the enos db/db-mouse as the currently best mouse model to study

Summer School on CHEMICAL BIOLOGY OF GPCR LIGANDS

06, 2014
Events

Prof. Dr. Annette G. Beck-Sickinger (Leipzig University, Institute of Biochemistry) 21-28 July 2014, Vanderbilt University Many ligands of GPCR belong to the family of peptides and proteins. This includes all class B GPCR ligands, e. g. calcitonin, glucagon and the pharmacologically relevant GLP-1, from which modified analogies have entered the anti-diabetic market recently (e. g. Exenentide, Liraglutide, etc.). But also in the family of class A GPCR different peptide and protein hormones (angiotensin, bradykinin, chemokines, FSH, etc.) play an important role in physiology. Peptide ligands have some unique properties. They can be obtained by solid phase peptide synthesis and chemically modified with specific side-chain protection strategies. This includes selective labeling with

03, 2014
News, Students

by Tristan Zellmann (doctoral student at Leipzig University): I had the opportunity to stay at Jens Meilers lab in Nashville from 11/27/13 to 12/06/13 as well as from 01/27/14 to 03/22/14 to complete the modeling for an upcoming publication. During my stay, I had the opportunity to take part in two great, american traditions – arriving the day just before Thanksgiving, I got invited to an actual Thanksgiving dinner, featuring delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, buttery carrots and even pumpkin pie. Another culinary and cultural highlight was a super bowl party complete with chili, buffalo wings and lots of snacks, even if the Seattle Seahawks seemed to dominate a bit too

03, 2014
News, Students

by Lizzy Wanka (doctoral student at Leipzig University): In the autumn of 2013, I had the great opportunity to visit Prof. Dr. Vsevolod V. Gurevich`s lab at the Vanderbilt university for 12 weeks. Prof. Gurevich and his group work with arrestin proteins and investigate among others their binding to receptors and other signaling proteins. I wanted to study the binding of different arrestin mutants to NPY receptors and NPY receptor chimera. Together with Dr. Luis E. D. Gimenez, I performed various bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays and learned a lot about the arrestin recruitment and the optimization of this assay. The discussions about analyzing the data were revealing and very helpful.

02, 2014
Events

by Dr. Stefan Kalkhof, Prof. Dr. Martin von Bergen and Prof. Dr. John McLean: In an one-week curse 30 PhD students and postdocs of the Vanderbilt University were introduced to modern mass spectrometry methods and recent technical developments. The participants were made familiar with the theory of H/D exchange, ion mobility, chemical crosslinking, and labeling techniques using chemicals or radicals. Furthermore, to give the participants a better feeling concerning the potential as well as advantages, experimental challenges, and limitations many own projects and experimental protocols were presented and critically discussed. Finally, a session was used to discuss how one could practically utilize the techniques to answer current questions of participant`s projects.

Max-Kade Foundation Partners with VU-LU Collaboration

01, 2014
News

The Vanderbilt-Leipzig Collaboration is pleased to announce its partnership with the Max Kade Foundation to support the exchange of students and faculty between the universities. The Max Kade Foundation takes pride in participating and sponsoring various programs which encourage the exchange of academic ideas among universities and colleges in the United States and in German-speaking countries (www.maxkadefoundation.org). The foundation recently awarded the Vanderbilt-Leipzig research exchange program a grant to cover the travel and support of six undergraduate student exchanges, as well as two faculty exchanges per year. The students will travel to their respective university and join a research project under a senior supervisor. They will be engaged for ten weeks

12, 2013
Research, Students

by Stephan Theisgen (Post Doc at Leipzig University): From 16th September to 14th October I had the opportunity to visit Prof. Jens Meiler’s Lab where I wanted to perform some structural computations to complete a pending scientific paper. This turned out to be a major task for 4 weeks only. But together with Dr. David Nanneman, Stephanie Hirst DeLuca and Sam DeLuca, we managed to finish this ambitious project successfully. In the process, I learned a lot about computational structural biology and became familiar with an important method in this field. Beside the heavy scientific work, I enjoyed very much the special southern cuisine, visiting downtown Nashville and of course some

Vanderbilt, Leipzig research collaboration sees strong results

11, 2013
News

written by Matt Windsor: During the past two weeks, the fifth international symposium between Leipzig and Vanderbilt universities was held on the Vanderbilt campus, as seven Leipzig faculty members presented a series of chemical biology-related lectures. The symposium offered an opportunity to highlight the ongoing success of the international collaboration. To date, there have been 17 joint publications between research groups at the two universities. This summer, the first federally funded research grant resulting from the collaboration was awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The project is aimed at developing drugs for a specific type of protein known as a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). The grant was spearheaded by

11, 2013
Events

11, 2013
News, Students

by Hannah Berke (undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University): My two months spent in Leipzig were a wonderful experience. The work in the lab was informative and enjoyable and living in Leipzig changed my life. My stay in Leipzig was extremely fun and gave me the opportunity to travel and experience Europe and Germany specifically. The city itself is a perfect size, very similar to Nashville, and I lived in an area that was about a 5 minute tram ride or 20 minute walk from the city center, or “Mitte,” that is full of shops and restaurants. The abundance of parks and cafes made it easy to spend time outside – barbecuing,

DAAD RISE Program: Call 2014

10, 2013
News

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) announced a new call for its program “Research Internships in Science and Engineering” (RISE) for summer internship in 2014. The program works in both ways. German and American Ph.D. students submit internship offers for undergraduates students for a duration of 8 to 12 weeks. German bachelor students can work as research interns at U.S. universities and U.S. undergraduates can work in labs of German universities. The DAAD provides stipends to help cover living expenses, the partner universities and research institutes provide housing assistance. The call is applicable for all fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering. Please visit for further

09, 2013
News, Research

Annette Beck-Sickinger and Torsten Schoeneberg from Leipzig University and Jens Meiler from Vanderbilt University receive a grant “Ensemble Docking Interrogates Structural Determinants of Ligand-Protein Interactions” that is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The grant will develop a novel docking algorithm that leverages Structure-Activity-Relations (SAR) and apply this algorithm to understand regulation of G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs). Project Summary

4th Vanderbilt-Leipzig Cooperation Workshop

08, 2013
Events

The 4th international scientific symposium was held with members of the Leipzig University and Vanderbilt University from the 6th to the 12th of July 2013 in Leipzig. The focus of this event taking place at the Biotechnological-Biomedical Center (BBZ) of the University of Leipzig was the further organization and consolidation of the university partnership (MOU) between Leipzig and Vanderbilt University. Likewise this event was set out to be a Kick-Off-Meeting for two new international junior research groups, which are funded by the State Ministry of Science and Arts through the European Social Fond (ESF) since July 1st. The fourth cooperation workshop (scientific symposium) is linked to the plans of the Leipzig

Symposium and New Grants bolster Vanderbilt-Leipzig Partnership

07, 2013
News

Two new grants and a summer symposium with workshops highlight ongoing collaboration efforts between Vanderbilt University and Leipzig University: 1) Vanderbilt University received a grant from the Max Kade Foundation in support of an undergraduate and graduate student exchange program in collaboration with Leipzig University. The collaboration is spearheaded by Drs. Jens Meiler (Vanderbilt University) and Annette Beck-Sickinger (Leipzig University). 2) The Meiler and Weaver laboratories at Vanderbilt University received a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, NIH) for the development of “Small Molecule Probes to Investigate Structure and Function of Y Receptors.” This project is a collaboration with Annette Beck-Sickinger at Leipzig University,

06, 2013
Events

Prof. Dr. Terry Lybrand, Vanderbilt University Nashville, USA 10. – 12. July 2013, Leipzig University Course description: This short course will cover basic background information and applications details for molecular mechanics calculations, including energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations. Some basic theory will be presented, but the course will focus primarily on practical details for molecular mechanics calculations and will include numerous “hands-on” exercises, i.e., the students will get the opportunity to perform all necessary steps for typical calculations. We will discuss the capabilities and limitations of different types of calculations, the information required to perform useful calculations, and analysis techniques to allow you to extract useful information from these calculations.

06, 2013
Events

15. – 18. July 2013, Leipzig University Prof. Dr. Hassane Mchaourab, Vanderbilt University Nashville, USA Course description: This is an advanced, intensive course directed at graduate students. It is intended to provide an overview of the EPR spectroscopy and its application to protein biophysics. Electron paramagnetic resonance is a magnetic resonance technique for the analysis of naturally occurring or introduced free radicals. In protein spin labeling, a stable free radical, spin label, is introduced specifically into the protein sequence via site-directed mutagenesis. The lectures will describe the technical and biochemical aspects of protein spin labeling, discuss the spectral parameters that are determined from EPR analysis of spin labeled proteins and their

The Leipzig Connection

01, 2013
News

by David Salisbury | posted at news.vanderbilt.edu: In 2007, while Jens Meiler was visiting his parents in Germany, the associate professor of chemistry was invited to give a lecture at his alma mater, the University of Leipzig. “When I gave that talk on my research in structural and chemical biology, I found a tremendous amount of interest in what we are doing at Vanderbilt and learned that there is a great deal of complementary research going on in Leipzig,” Meiler said. In fact, Meiler stirred up so much interest that two years later Annette Beck-Sickinger, professor of biochemistry and bioorganic chemistry at Leipzig, spent her sabbatical at Vanderbilt. During her visit

DAAD RISE Program: Call 2013

10, 2012
News

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) announced a new call for its program “Research Internships in Science and Engineering” (RISE) for summer internship in 2013. The program works in both ways. German and American Ph.D. students submit internship offers for undergraduates students for a duration of 8 to 12 weeks. German bachelor students can work as research interns at U.S. universities and U.S. undergraduates can work in labs of German universities. The DAAD provides stipends to help cover living expenses, the partner universities and research institutes provide housing assistance. The call is applicable for all fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering. Please visit for further information:

08, 2012
Events

Prof. Dr. Vsevolod Gurevich, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 8 – 12 October 2012, Leipzig University Arrestins are proteins which regulate the signalling and trafficking of hundreds of different G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). But arrestins also interact with other classes of membrane receptors and over 20 diverse types of soluble signalling protein. Arrestins can block GPCR coupling to G proteins in two ways. But they can also modify gene expression by increasing the transcription of certain genes.Several arrestin-binding partners play a key role in the signalling pathways regulating cell proliferation, survival and apoptosis. Since multiple genetic disorders can be associated with excessive signalling by mutant G-protein-coupled receptors, arrestin is an interesting target for

Summer School on Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy in Biology

08, 2012
Events

Prof. Dr. Daniel Huster, University of Leipzig 2 -11 October 2012, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN Due to the success of NMR studies on soluble molecules the original NMR spectroscopy on solid materials such as crystals, glasses, powders and polymers has long played an inferior role. However, in the last decade, solid-state NMR spectroscopy has widely been applied to complicated biological questions such as the study of aggregated and amyloidic protein states, membrane proteins, biological tissue or other molecular aggregates of large molecular mass. As there is no principle limit on the molecular mass of the investigated molecules and the fact that the resolution and sensitivity of the technique seems to constantly

Vanderbilt PhD students in Leipzig

10, 2011
News, Students

Stephanie and Liz are graduate students in the Meiler Laboratory at Vanderbilt University. They both work on the computational investigation of GPCRs and their interactions with various ligands. They recently took the opportunity to do a month-long research internship at Leipzig University in conjunction with their collaborators, who perform the wet-lab experiments associated with the proteins they model. Herein, they reflect on their experiences. Liz Dong: For 4 weeks, I worked with the lab of Dr. Torsten Schöneberg on a project involving P2Y12, a receptor involved in platelet aggregation. My part of the project was to build a model of P2Y12 using Rosetta and dock known ligands into the model to