Research

The passion for studying life by chemistry!

Our multidisciplinary research strives to understand biological processes at the molecular level to elucidate the fundamental problems at the interface of chemistry and biology. For this purpose, we focus on the design and development of innovative chemical tools for sensing biological processes and remotely manipulate molecular machines inside cells. Our work embraces the synthesis of low molecular weight drug-like molecules, peptides and nucleic acids combined with the methodology to investigate physiological responses. Thus, our optochemical tools have been able of achieving conditional and selective biological modulation by taking full advantage of photosensitive molecules



Fluorophores
Our  far-red compound 6-TramTO-3 enables fast and reliable fluorescent labelling of multi-resistant bacteria without  genetic modification. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 2018, 57, 11564
Filed Patents:
EP18174086.1
EP21192451.9  
Photoswitches
Our photoswitches enable precise control of gene expression by acting as either optoepigenetic tools to reversibly photomodulate epigenetic players such as histone methyltransferases or reversible splicing modifiers. Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 4612   ACS Cent. Sci. 2022, 8, 57 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 12783
Photosensitizers
Our novel halogenated BODIPY‐tetrazine probes offer dual functionality enabling specific subcellular localization  and conditional singlet oxygen generation. Recently, we have also developed self-illuminating conjugates expanding their applicability   Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2019, 58, 12868 Chemistry2020, 26, 10014 Chem. Commun., 2025, 61, 5190

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Meet our Team

Our passionate team makes the magic happen!
Ina Pinnschmidt
Ina Pinnschmidt

Office Manager


Room: C104 (01/3040)
Tel: +49 6421 28 21535
Fax: +49 6421 28 22189

Frank Abendroth
Frank Abendroth

ChemBio Platform Head


Room: C 152 (01/3520)
Tel: +49 6421 28 25701
Senior Scientist & Lab Manager

Doris Newel
Doris Newel

Lab Technician


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 21819 Expertise: chemical synthesis & cell-culture /assays / protein expression

Lledó Bou Iserte
Lledó Bou Iserte

Postdoc Researcher


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 21819
Interests: photocontrol & GPCRs

Maria Sauer
Maria Sauer

Postdoc Researcher


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 21819
Interests: methanogenesis & climate change

Tetiana (Tania) Ryzhkova
Tetiana (Tania) Ryzhkova

PhD Student


Room: D264 (02/4650)
Tel: +49 6421 28 21819
Interests: peptides & mRNA transport

Valeska Viereckt
Valeska Viereckt

PhD Student


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 22748
Interests: photosensitizers

Valentin Trubert
Valentin Trubert

PhD Student


Room: D264 (02/4640) Tel: +49 6421 28 22747 Interests: photosensitizers & climate change

Ahmed Mansour Nonn
Ahmed Mansour Nonn

PhD Student


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 22747
Interests: photoswitches & GPCRs

Pia Siekierski
Pia Siekierski

PhD Student


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 22747
Interests: miniproteins & unnatural amino acids

Fabian Becker
Fabian Becker

Master Student


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 22747
Interests: photosensitizers & climate change

Antonio Cuesta Casas
Antonio Cuesta Casas

Visiting PhD Student


Room: D264 (02/4640)
Tel: +49 6421 28 22747
Interests: photoswitches & turn-on dyes

Address
Fachbereich Chemie Philipps-Universität Marburg Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, Second floor D 233 (02/4330) 35043 Marburg Germany

Phone & Email
E-mail: olalla.vazquez@staff.uni-marburg.de Phone: +49-6421-28-22745