Richter-Dennerlein, Ricarda, Prof. Dr.

• 2011: PhD at the Newcastle University (UK), Institute for Ageing and Health
• 2011-2014: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cologne, Institute for Genetics (EMBO long-term fellowship)
• 2014-2016: Postdoctoral fellow at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Cellular Biochemistry
• 2016-2023: Emmy-Noether research group leader at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Cellular Biochemistry
• Since 2023: W2 Professor, University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Molecular Biology

Major Research Interests
The assembly pathway of the mammalian mitochondrial ribosome
The human mitochondrial ribosome has a vital role as it synthesizes the core subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Defects in mitochondrial ribosome biogenesis and function are associated with severe early-onset human diseases mostly affecting high-energy demanding tissues such as brain and heart. Thus, it is critical to elucidate the molecular basis of ribosome biogenesis, the role of involved assisting factors and the key quality control steps to broaden our understanding of the diverse clinical presentations of a growing group of patients exhibiting mitochondrial translation deficiency.
Additionally, we focus on translation termination, ribosome recycling and ribosome rescue in human mitochondria. Ribosomes can be stalled during translation and need to be rescued and recycled. Defects in associated quality control pathways lead to neurological disorders, however, the molecular mechanism and the involved key players are still ill-defined. Thus, we aim to understand how stalled and non-functional ribosomes are eliminated in human mitochondria.

Homepage Department/Research Group
https://biochemie.uni-goettingen.de/

ORCID: 0000-0001-8904-1543