Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Meinecke, Michael, Prof. Dr.

Group Leader Molecular Membrane Biology



  • 2007 Dr. rer. nat. University of Osnabrück
  • 2008 – 2012 Postdoctoral fellow (with Harvey McMahon, MRC - Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
  • since 2012 Independent group leader at the Department of Biochemistry II, University Medical Center Göttingen
  • 2013 - 2017 Junior Professor of Molecular Membrane Biology at the European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen
  • 2017 – 2021 Professor of Membranebiochemistry at the Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen
  • since 2021 Professor for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH) Medical Faculty



Major Research Interests

Biological membranes exhibit a wide variety of shapes associated with particular functions. These give rise to the complex and beautiful forms observed within cells and their organelles. Our group is interested in the fundamental molecular principles that lead to these shapes. We study the effects that membrane proteins have on membrane structures. We are also interested in the effects that different membrane morphologies have on the distribution and localization of membrane proteins into clusters and micro-domains. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, we use model membranes to reconstitute the structure and function of organelles in vitro and then correlate these results with in vivo imaging techniques.
One class of membrane proteins we are particularly interested in are ion-channels. Ion-channels cover a large variety of different molecular functions. Well-studied examples are protein translocases, potassium channels and bacterial pore forming toxins. We use biochemical and biophysical approaches to study the function and regulation of ion-channels on a single molecule level.


Homepage Department/Research Group

https://bzh.db-engine.de/group/81/michael%20meinecke/setLang=en


Selected Recent Publications

  • Denkert N, Schendzielorz AB, Barbot M, Versemann L, Richter F, Rehling P, Meinecke M (2017) Cation selectivity of the presequence translocase channel Tim23 is crucial for efficient protein import. ELife pii: e28324

  • Tarasenko D, Barbot M, Jans DC, Kroppen B, Sadowski B, Heim G, Möbius W, Jakobs S, Meinecke M (2017) The MICOS component Mic60 displays a conserved membrane-bending activity that is necessary for normal cristae morphology. Journal of Cell Biology 216, 889-899

  • Barbot M, Jans DC, Schulz C, Denkert N, Kroppen B, Hoppert M, Jakobs S, Meinecke M (2015) Mic10 oligomerizes tob end mitochondrial inner membranes at cristae junctions. Cell Metabolism 21, 756-763

  • Meinecke M, Cizmowski C, Schliebs W, Krüger V, Beck S, Wagner R, Erdmann R (2010) The Peroxisomal Importomer Constitutes a Large and Highly Dynamic Pore. Nature Cell Biology 12, 273-277

  • Henne WH, Boucrot E, Meinecke M, Evergren E, Vallis Y, Mittal R, McMahon HT (2010) FCHo proteins are nucleators of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Science 328, 1281-1284