Profile
Abstract
Annette G. Beck-Sickinger is Professor of Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Life Sciences. She is member of the Saxon Academy of Science, the German National Academy Leopoldina, the Göttingen Academy of Science and DFG Senate. Since 2020 she is spokesperson of the SFB1423 "Structural dynamics of GPCR activation and signaling".
She has received numerous awards: Leonidas Zervas Award of the EPS (1998), Gold Medal of the Max Bergmann Circle (2009), Saxon Order of Merit (2017), Du Vigneaud Award of the APS (2019), Richard Willstätter Prize for Chemical Biology (2023) and the IUPAC Award: Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering (2023).
Her major research fields are structure-activity-relationships of peptide and protein ligands activating GPCRs and protein modification to study molecular interactions. The range of methods includes bioorganic synthesis, molecular biology tools, cloning, receptor mutagenesis, protein expression and cell biochemistry.
Professional career
- 06/2009 - 10/2009
Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA - since 07/2000
Member of the Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Leipzig University - since 08/1999
Full Professor (C4) of Bioorganic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences at Leipzig University - 01/1997 - 07/1999
Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, ETH Zürich, Department of Applied Chemistry, Switzerland - 01/1992 - 12/1992
Research Fellow at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark (T. W. Schwartz) - 07/1990 - 12/1991
Postdoctoral Fellow, ETH Zürich, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Switzerland (E. Carafoli) - 01/1988 - 10/1988
Research Stay at Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation, La Jolla, USA (R. A. Houghten)
Education
- 11/1989 - 10/1995
Habilitation and venia legendi in Biochemistry, University of Tübingen - 11/1986 - 10/1989
Dissertation in Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen - 10/1982 - 10/1990
Studies and Final Degree in Biology, University of Tübingen - 10/1980 - 10/1986
Studies and Final Degree in Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen
Panel Memberships
- since 07/2021
Member of the DFG Senate - since 01/2021
Member of the Academy of Science, Göttingen - since 01/2020
Speaker of the CRC 1423: Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and Signaling (DFG) - 01/2019 - 03/2021
President of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) - 01/2017 - 01/2023
Member of the Board of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM); Vice President 2017-2019 and 2021-2023 - 01/2015 - 01/2023
Member of the Senate Board of Evaluation of the Leibnitz Foundation - since 01/2013
Member of the Board of the CRC 1052: Obesity Mechanisms (DFG) - since 01/2012
Member of the University Council (Hochschulrat) Leipzig, since 2018 vice speaker - since 01/2012
Member of the German National Academy of Science, Leopoldina - 01/2012 - 12/2018
Member of the German Council of Science and Humanities(Wissenschaftsrat) - 01/2011 - 03/2021
Member of the University Council (Universitätsrat) University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim, speaker 2018-2021 - 07/2009 - 12/2021
Member of the Board of the CRC-TR67 and Chair of the Graduate Programm “Matrix Engineering” - since 01/2012
Member of the German National Academy of Science, Leopoldina - since 01/2009
Member of the Saxonian Academy of Sciences - since 01/2009
Member of the Advisory Board of the Mercator Foundation - since 01/2008
Member of the „Kuratorium des Fonds der Chemischen Industrie“ (FCI) - since 01/2013
Coordinator of the Leipzig-Vanderbilt Max Kade Foundation Program to support international exchange with Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA - 01/2002 - 12/2012
Speaker of the CRC 610 „Variation in Protein Conformation: Cell biological and Pathological Relevance“ (DFG)
Her major research fields are structure-activity-relationships of peptide and protein ligands activating G protein coupled receptors and protein modification to study molecular interactions. A tight connection of chemical methods, bioorganic synthesis and molecular biology tools, including cloning, receptor mutagenesis, protein expression and cell biochemistry is applied. Whereas in the first field, her interests go towards medicinal chemistry, identification of novel targets and novel therapeutic concepts e. g. in the field of cancer and obesity, the second field is related to biomaterials, novel approaches to modify proteins and concepts for improved drug delivery.
- SFB 1423: Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and SignalingBeck-Sickinger, AnnetteDuration: 01/2020 – ongoingFunded by: DFG Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: SFB 1423: Strukturelle Dynamik der GPCR-Aktivierung und Signaltransduktion; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöR; Bioinformatik; Institut für Biochemie; Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Pharmazeutische Chemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum; Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Bioinformatik (IZBI); Rudolf-Schönheimer-Institut für Biochemie; Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Biochemie (Medizin); Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie; Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik; Synthetische Proteinbiochemie
- SFB 1052/A03: Targeting of central peptide receptors via nasal ligand application to modulate food intakeBeck-Sickinger, AnnetteDuration: 07/2021 – 12/2024Funded by: DFG Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöR; SFB 1052: Mechanismen der Adipositas
- Structure Elucidation of the Neuropeptide Y5 Receptor- Relevant in Food intake and CancerBeck-Sickinger, AnnetteDuration: 05/2022 – 04/2025Funded by: DFG Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie
- Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: IUPAC Award: Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineeringshow detailsBeck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)awarded in 2023.
- Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Richard-Willstätter-Award for Chemical Biologyshow detailsBeck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)awarded in 2023.
- Andere Ehrungen: Member of the Academy of Sciences, Göttingenshow detailsBeck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)awarded in 2021.
- Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Chemistry Europe Fellow Awardshow detailsBeck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)awarded in 2019.
- Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Du Vigneaud Awardshow detailsBeck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)awarded in 2019 by American Peptide Society.
- Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)Projet émergent TRAIL INNOVATHERStart Date of Collaboration: 01/10/2017Ended on: 30/09/2020Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Morgat, Clement
- Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)Gastrointestinal peptides in obesityStart Date of Collaboration: 01/01/2015External participating organisations: King's College London (London, United Kingdom); University of Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark)Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Cox, H. M.; Schwartz, Thue W.
- Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)Vanderbilt-Leipzig Collaboration: International Student and Research Exchange ProgrammeStart Date of Collaboration: 01/01/2009External participating organisations: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, United States)Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Meiler, Jens; Albrecht, Anett
- Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)GPCR/arrestin interactionExternal participating organisations: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, United States)Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Gurevich, Vsevolod V.
- Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)Small Molecule Probes to investigate Structure and Funktion of Y-ReceptorsExternal participating organisations: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, United States)Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Meiler, Jens
- Internationale Tagung4GPCRnet 2022Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Universität Leipzig; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöREvent Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Bock, Andreas; Liebscher, Ines; Albrecht, Anett26/09/2022 – 29/09/2022
- Internationale Tagung34. Europäisches und 8. internationales PeptidsymposiumBiochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)Event Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Albrecht, Anett04/09/2016 – 09/09/2016
- Internationale Tagung11. Internationales NPY-PYY-PP SymposiumBiochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)Event Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Albrecht, Anett22/08/2015 – 26/08/2015
- Konferenz13th Akabori Conference 2010. Japanese-German Symposium on Peptide ScienceBiochemie/Bioorganische ChemieEvent Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette10/09/2010 – 14/09/2010
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Modul "Receptor Biochemistry and Signal Transduction"
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Modul "Protein Chemistry/ Enzymology"
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Modul "Bioorganic Chemistry"
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Modul "Fundamentals of Biochemistry"
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Journalclub: Discussion of current biochemical publications
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Modul "Scientific work and theoretical course"
Research fields
Biochemistry
Contact for media inquiries
Fax: +49 341 97-39909
Phone: +49 341 97-36901