Hermann Bujard

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Hermann Bujard (born April 16, 1934 in Heidelberg ; † July 31, 2020 ) was a German molecular biologist at the University of Heidelberg and one of the founders of the Center for Molecular Biology Heidelberg (ZMBH) there in 1982 .

Live and act

Hermann Bujard grew up in Freiburg im Breisgau , studied chemistry at the Universities of Freiburg and Göttingen and, from 1964, did research in the USA for five years . In 1969 he returned to Germany and was professor at the Institute for Molecular Genetics at Heidelberg University from 1970 to 1982 . From 1982 to 1985 he was head of biological research at the Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche with the task of developing the genetic engineering division. Three years later, Bujard was appointed to Heidelberg University as head of the Center for Molecular Biology Heidelberg (ZMBH) founded in 1983 .

Together with his colleague, Prof. Dr. Heinz Schaller , he built up an institute that is now considered a role model in the German university landscape. The inspiration for this was the department structure that Bujard had come to know and appreciate in the USA: Instead of the usual chair structures, the ZMBH consists of small, independent research groups that share a common infrastructure.

Together with former colleagues, Hermann Bujard founded Tet Systems Holding GmbH & Co. KG in Heidelberg in 2004, based on the Tet system for gene expression control he had developed. In July 2007, Hermann Bujard was appointed Executive Director of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). He held this position until 2009 and was then senior professor at Heidelberg University .

Fundamental developments

Hermann Bujard's research focused on two main topics: mechanisms that control the activity of genes in bacteria - the gene switches were a late product of this work - and research into a protein of the malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum , which is now a promising candidate for a malaria vaccine applies.

Tet system

This is a standard molecular biological tool for the targeted activation and deactivation of genes. With these tetracycline -controlled gene switches, the reading of the information in a gene can be reversibly and quantitatively regulated. The switches are groundbreaking due to their wide range of uses in higher organisms such as yeast, plants and mammals. The Tet system is also useful in the human area, for example for the targeted development of drugs for the treatment of cancer and myocardial infarction ( angiogenesis - mouse model ) and for birth control of mosquitoes , which are known to transmit diseases such as malaria and dengue fever (RIDL® mosquitoes ).

Malaria research

Hermann Bujard researched the development and testing of a new vaccine candidate against malaria tropica , the most severe form of malaria against which there is currently no permanent vaccination . The target molecule of the vaccine candidate is the main surface protein of merozoites (MSP-1, Merozoite Surface Protein-1), the invasive form of the blood stages of the malaria pathogen. The vaccine candidate is intended to trigger a long-term immune response and thus form permanent protection against malaria.

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ History and developmental path of biology in Heidelberg .
  2. ↑ Gossen, M. and Bujard, H. (2002) In Annual Review of Genetics , vol. 36, Annual Reviews, Palo Alto, USA, 153-173.
  3. ↑ Schoenig, K. et al. (2002) Nucl. Acids Res. 30, e134
  4. ↑ Ueberham, E. et al. (2003) Hepatology 37, 1067-1078.
  5. ↑ Hasan, MT et al. (2004) Public Library of Science 2, 763-775.
  6. ↑ Pan, W. et al. (1999) Nucl. Acids Res. 27, 1094-1103
  7. ^ Burghaus, PA et al. (1999) Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 104, 171-183
  8. ↑ Epp, C. et al. (2003) J. Chromat. B 786, 61-72
  9. ↑ Kauth, CW et al. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 22257-22264
  10. ↑ Woehlbier U. et al. (2006): Infection and Immunity 2006 Feb; 74 (2): 1313-22
personal data
SURNAME Bujard, Hermann
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German molecular biologist
DATE OF BIRTH April 16, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Heidelberg
DATE OF DEATH July 31, 2020