Ficner, Ralf, Prof. Dr.

Professor of Structural Biology

• Dr. rer. nat. (1992) and Postdoc (1993), Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried
• Postdoctoral fellow, EMBL Heidelberg, 1994 -1996
• Junior Group Leader, University of Marburg, 1997-2000
• Appointed 2001 as Head of the Department of Molecular Structural Biology at the University of Göttingen

Major Research Interests
The aim of all research activities in the Department of Molecular Structural Biology at the University Göttingen is to understand the relation between the three-dimensional structure of a biological macromolecule (such as a protein, or a protein-RNA complex) and its cellular function. In order to achieve this goal we use different complementary methods, with a strong focus on the structure determination by means of X-ray crystallography. Other methods like single particle cryo electron microscopy, SAXS, and NMR spectroscopy have been applied in close collaboration with experts in the respective method. Our current research projects concern the structure and function of protein-RNA complexes involved in the post-transcriptional RNA processing (e.g. RNA modification, pre-mRNA splicing), and the nucleocytoplasmic transport of ribonucleoprotein complexes. In total, we have determined more than 230 structures of proteins and protein – nucleic acid complexes by means of X-ray crystallography or single particle cryo electron microscopy (currently 231 released PDB entries, and several unreleased entries).

Homepage Department/Research Group
http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/130115.html

ORCID: 0000-0002-1739-6086