Functional Bioinorganic Chemistry

Design and synthesis of modified vitamin B12 derivatives

Cobalamines catalyse important reactions in the metabolism of humans. Small amounts of vitamin B₁₂ are essential, but fast proliferating cells such as cancer cells are strong consumers of vitamin B₁₂. We intend to develop a new class of inhibitors of B₁₂ dependent enzymes for cancer therapy .

Development of semi-artificial sensors and catalysts

Semi-artificial sensors and catalysts profit from the fact that a specific biological property has already been optimised to a highest degree. We intend to develop semi-artificial sensors and catalysts with novel properties. These sensors and catalysts are applied in diagnosis or could be utilized in molecular machines.