ERC Synergy Grant for Claudine Kraft
Molecular biologist Prof. Dr. Claudine Kraft.
Photo: CIBSS / University of Freiburg
The refuse collection service of body cells
‘DegrAbility: On the Degradability of Protein Aggregates by Autophagy’ is the name of Prof. Dr. Claudine Kraft’s project. It focuses on autophagy – degradation processes in cells that play an important role for their regeneration and ability to function. In particular, the three responsible researchers are investigating the conditions governing whether a protein aggregate is degraded through autophagy or not.
Kraft is studying the biological relevance of the mechanisms, which her partners make visible using high-resolution structural analyses at the atomic level and test in biochemical reconstitution systems at the molecular level. By using specifically modifiable cell models, Kraft’s team can determine how these mechanisms influence autophagy and what consequences this has for the functioning of the cells. Until now, it was assumed that the properties of a protein aggregate determine whether it can be degraded or not. However, initial findings indicate that the problem lies in the interaction between the autophagic machinery and the aggregate. ‘We’re using expertise attained only through our three complementary approaches’, says Kraft. ‘Our findings could enable targeted intervention in cellular degradation processes that have been interrupted, which is often the case in ageing and neurodegenerative disease processes.’
Kraft is a professor at the University of Freiburg’s Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies. Also collaborating on the project are Prof. Dr. Sascha Martens from the Max Perutz Lab at the University of Vienna, Austria, and Prof. Dr. James H. Hurley from the University of California, Berkeley, USA. The project will receive just under ten million euros, 3.33 million euros of which will go to the University of Freiburg.