Nikolaus Pfanner

Nikolaus Pfanner (*1956 Simmerberg im Allgäu) received the Hector Research Prize for his work in the area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Prof. Dr. Pfanner is an expert on mitochondria, the so-called “cellular power plants.” They provide the energy the cell needs to maintain its life-sustaining functions. Pfanner was the first bioscientist in the world to decipher the composition of these cell organelles. However, his research does not revolve exclusively around the structure of mitochondria but also encompasses the path of the proteins out of the cytosol of the cell, through the mitochondrial membranes, and to their point of destination inside the cellular power plants. In addition, Pfanner has served as president of the Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, the largest professional association for bioscientists in Germany. He is a member of the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS and the Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine of the University of Freiburg.