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 Homepage > Research Report > Faculty |
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Faculty of Biology, Pharmacy and Psychology |
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Research Activities at the Faculty |
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Reports of the Institutes and Departments |
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Research Activities at the FacultyInstitute of Biochemistry |
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Institute of Biochemistry In Hahn's group, the X-ray structure of an RNase T1 variant with an altered guanin-binding segment was solved in collaboration with W. Saenger's team (Berlin Free University). Furthermore, studies of aptamers were intensified. The group is involved in the centre of excellence "Chemical Signal and Biological Answer" and the postgraduate research unit "Mechanisms and Applications of Non-Conventional Oxidation Reactions". The investigations by Hofmann's group were focused on studies of secondary structure formation within peptides using quantum chemical, molecular mechanical and molecular dynamical methods. Of special interest were general structure formation phenomena, e.g. the occurrence of various helix types and their relations as well as the influence of non-proteinogenic amino acids, such as D-, dehydro-, ß- and azaamino acids on the formation of the various secondary structures. Molecular modelling and theoretical structure analyses were performed in collaboration with other groups of the centre of excellence "Chemical Signal and Biological Answer". A new concept for substrate mimetica-mediated CN-ligation catalysis was proposed (F. Bordusa). The Kleber's group showed that crotonobetaine reductase from Escherichia coli consists of two proteins. -Butyrobetainyl-CoA was identified as the factor essential for both the transformation of crotonobetain into -butyrobetaine and the L-carnitine dehydratase reaction. Two publications resulted from collaboration with the University of Murcia, Spain, and the Biotechnology Research Institute, Montreal, Canada. The group is involved in the postgraduate research unit "Mechanisms and Applications of Non-Conventional Oxidation Reactions". |
Institute of Botany |
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Institute of Botany The Department of General and Applied Botany (Prof. W.
Reisser) embarked upon a new project in co-operation with the UFZ Centre for
Environmental
Research Leipzig-Halle to study the influence of algae, mosses and higher plants on
the phytoavailability of pollutants in tailings. A second project was continued
in conjunction with the UFZ on aerophytic algae as bioindicators of airborne
pollutants. In the Department of Plant Physiology (Prof. C. Wilhelm), research chiefly focuses on the molecular organisation of photosynthetic pigments. Of special interest is the question of how pigments can change between the two contrasting functions of light harvesting and photoprotection (DFG project). A project funded by the German Ministry of Education, Science, and Research (BMBF) deals with the development of new methods to measure primary production in the aquatic environment as a tool to predict water quality. In a second project, new tools are being developed to screen stress tolerance in higher plants The aim of the study is to test thermoluminescence as an approach to distinguish between different stress factors such as UV-B radiation, herbicides and ozone. In co-operation with the UFZ and Leipzig State Department of the Environment, new methods of phytoplankton analysis are being tested in order to develop new methods for the remote monitoring of water quality. Meanwhile, in co-operation with the Hungarian Academy of sciences (Szeged an Tihany, Balaton), basic physiological processes which determine phytoplankton growth are being studied in situ to establish new information systems on water quality prognosis. The Department of Systematic Botany (Prof. W. Morawetz) dealt mainly with projects in tropical ecology. The canopy crane in the rainforest of southern Venezuela continued to serve as the main research instrument. The fundamental question is, how does the rainforest function? Investigation began with research into phenology and reproductive ecology. Animal-plant interactions and ecological population genetics were then studied by taking an interdisciplinary tack. Field studies were accompanied by computer simulation models and biogeographic analyses to provide a theoretical background. In the area of chromosome studies, DNA in situ hybridisations were routinely conducted, and comparative DNA analyses are currently being prepared. The Department of Didactics of Biology (Prof. K.-H. Gehlhaar) worked on studies concerning the interest in biology among pupils aged 10-16. Using a combined cross-sectional and longitudinal study, pupils from two types of public schools (grammar, comprehensive) in Leipzig were surveyed about their interests in biology and the factors of influence involved. The research project involves educational psychology and the didactics of biology. The study is being carried out in co-operation with the University of Giessen (coherent measurement, comparable populations of pupils, East-West comparison). The ultimate aim of the research work is to draw conclusions for both curriculum amendments and teaching. The results of the first survey (N = 1034) were analysed; the second survey is currently being assessed, and the third (augmented by a retrospective questionnaire) will follow shortly. |
Institute of Pharmacy |
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Institute of Pharmacy The Pharmaceutical chemistry at the Institute of Pharmacy is focused on syntheses with respect to structure-activity relationships (Eger, Gütschow, Leistner, Briel). Two of Professor Eger's group are part of the centre of excellence "Chemical Signal and Biological Answer", which started in 1996. These projects include the search for non-toxic and easily available inhibitors of protein phosphatases, as well as adenosine receptor antagonists. The latter project includes the preparative transformation of in vitro active antagonists into those with improved bioavailability. Another project is part of the postgraduate research unit "Mechanisms and Applications of Non-Conventional Oxidation Reactions". Investigations are directed towards reactions of the oxidative metabolism, the synthesis of plant components (e.g. hypericine, fagopyrine) using oxidative reactions, as well as the isolation and structural elucidation of such natural products. Drug metabolites are being prepared to be used as reference compounds and haptenes. Analytical investigations are focused on the quality assurance of drugs, e.g. on the identification of impurities which result from preparative procedures. Several drugs have been investigated and impurities have been separated, characterised spectroscopically, and synthesised by independent routes (Group of Professor Eger). Novel ring transformation reactions to bioactive compounds have been developed
[published 1999 in J. Org. Chem. (Gütschow) and Synthesis (Gütschow,
Hecker
and Eger)]. Highly potent inhibitors of serine proteases (mainly elastase) have been
prepared [published 1999 in J. Med. Chem. (Gütschow et al.)]. The main research interests of the Department of Pharmacology of Natural Sciences (Prof. K. Nieber) lie in the area of electrophysiological investigations (intracellular recordings, patch-clamp-setup, Ca2+-imaging) on cortical pyramidal cells and microvascular endothelia cells from the retina and choroidea. The topics of research include the action of immunomodulators and nucleoside analogues on hypoxia-induced changes in the cell membrane. These studies (together with the Institute of Anatomy) are partly supported by the IZKF (Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research). Another project studies the neuroprotective role of adenosine, especially the A1 and A3 receptor-mediated effects on rat cortical neurons. We characterised the A3 receptor pharmacologically on these neurons and established a test model for new receptor ligands. This work (together with K. Eger's group) is part of the research project "Adenosine A3 Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Allergic Diseases such as Rhinoconjunctivitis and Asthma". Furthermore, electrophysiological investigations were carried out on human monocytes to study the effect of novel PDE4 inhibitors on intracellular signalling pathways. This work is part of the project "New PDE-4 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Allergic Diseases". The two projects are co-ordinated by the Arzneimittelwerk Dresden (AWD) and supported by the Saxon Development Bank. The group headed by Professor Süß (Pharmaceutical Technology) is engaged in the optimisation of peroral drug formulations with controlled or modified drug release. Material-directed studies in excipients and intermediates are carried out. Investigations on the control of drug release hydrophobic gel-forming materials have been completed. Such vehicles developed due to various combinations of excipients are useful for a broad spectrum of drugs with different physicochemical properties. Studies of curing of coated products and the development of multiparticulate systems for oral application were continued. Further studies are directed towards the stability, incompatibility, and quality management of drug formulations. |
Institute of Zoology |
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Institute of Zoology The research at the Zoological Institute covers a broad range of topics including cell biology, immunobiology, neurobiology, systematics, and ecology. In the Department of Animal Physiology (Prof. K. Drössler) and in the Department of Immunbiology (Prof. S. Hauschildt) monoclonal antibodies are produced against a variety of antigens (virulent factors in fish; vitellin-antibodies in chicken; moenomycin in mice). A further topic of research is the functional analysis of key questions from cell biology, e.g. mechanisms of apoptosis, the function of neuropeptides in myeloid cells, activation of human macrophages, and signal transduction in human monocytes. In the Department of Systematics (Prof. M. Schlegel), the genealogical relation between groups of animals (e.g. Myxozoa, Hemichrodata, Isopoda) is investigated using advanced molecular biological methods. Another line of research is geneflux analysis in natural populations of molluscs and coleoptera. Research in the Department of Neurobiology (Prof. R. Rübsamen) and in the Department of Behavioural Physiology (Prof. K. Schildberger) focuses on mechanisms of information processing in the central nervous system. By applying a broad variety of neurobiological methods, the central nervous processing of temporal information on different time scales is investigated. The systems studied are the central auditory system of insects and mammals, and the circadian system of molluscs. All the departments of the Institute of Zoology actively participate in many regional, national, and international scientific co-operations, including the Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, the SIAB (Saxon Institute of Applied Biotechnology), the DFG priority programme "Functional and Adaptive Mechanisms of Circadian Systems" and "Time-based Information-processing in the Central Auditory System". |
Department of Microbiology and Genetics |
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Department of Microbiology and Genetics The current research of Department of Genetics (Prof. H. Sass) is focused on the Drosophila animal model to study 1) the structural and functional conservation of chromatin genes in insects (Sass
and Krauss), and the The Drosophila synapsin gene is the first invertebrate member of the synapsin gene family. The encoded proteins are abundant phosphoproteins associated with synaptic vesicles and play important roles in the regulation of neurotransmitter release. To pursue overexpression studies in transgenic Drosophila, the construction of recombinant vector molecules for gene transfer into the fly germline is currently in progress. A second challenging study (started in 1999) relates to position effect variegation (PEV) in Drosophila. Chromosomes are organelles for information handling. Our chromosome/chromatin studies should provide insights into the nature of molecular evolution for chromatin genes and interacting proteins that compact DNA. Using polytene chromosomes and recombinant DNA technology as well as transgenic Drosophila, we intend to decipher the function of the Klett gene. Klett seems to participate in the formation of euchromatic and heterochromatic chromatin domains. The Department of Microbiology (Dr Tauchert and Dr Andreas) is working on the degradation of aliphatic carbohydrates by a strain of Pseudomonas putida. The enzymes of n-alcane-catabolism to fatty acids are localised in this strain inside to the cytoplasmicmembrane. Our results until now show an interaction of the PQQ-dependent ADH with a special cytochrome. It is our aim to isolate both membrane components and to investigate their interactions within the process of alcohol oxidation. A further research project deals with cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus developing resistance against phages. Resistance is expressed in structural phenomena in the cell wall. Genomic analysis is currently being performed to decide whether the phageresistency is caused by lysogeny. In co-operation with the group of Prof. H.-P. Kleber (Institute of Biochemistry), we have conducted investigations into the degradation of D-Carnitine from the racemate D,L-Carnitine by wild-type strains and mutants of soil bacteria. In this connection we found a very interesting strain. This strain is able to degrade D-Carnitine from the racemate and to accumulate PHB (poly-3-OH-butyric acid) in the cell. Both processes are biotechnologically relevant. A patent has been registered. |
Institute of General (Experimental) Psychology |
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Institute of General (Experimental) Psychology In General Psychology I (Prof. H.-G. Geißler), within the area of visual information processing, the perception of motion and memory search involving comparisons of structured objects were investigated; this work demonstrated the special role of ultrafine time-structures in motion perception. Within the area of acoustic processing, experiments were carried out to examine the detection of periodicities in white noise. In General Psychology II (Prof. H. Müller), research was carried out concerning attentional modulation of input processes into visual working memory, the importance of synchronous 40 Hz oscillation for figural binding processes, and the role of "inhibition of return" of attention in serial visual search. In Biological Psychology (Prof. E. Schröger), studies into auditory and audio-visual information processing were carried out, concerned with interlinked issues in the areas of perception, memory and attention. In Methods of Psychology (Doz. E. Sommerfeld), a procedure for the measurement of cognitive resource investment (segmentation) was further developed. In History of Psychology (Dr A. Meischner-Metge), further work evaluating the unpublished writings by G. T. Fechner was carried out. In Cognitive Social Psychology (Prof. G. von Collani), research was carried out on the following: the assessment of a structured knowledge model of causal explanations; the measurement and validation of social-psychological personality constructs; biasing of eye witness testimonies; motivational processes in the processing of self concept-relevant information; inter-group behaviour; the assessment of models of the relationship between attitude and behaviour; "evaluative priming". Research in the institute was supported by a number of DFG project grants. Several of these projects were carried out within the frameworks of the DFG Research Group "Working Memory Processes" and under the DFG priority programme "Temporal Information-processing in the Central Auditory System". The Institute is equipped with modern laboratories for eye movement and EEG recording, as well as other special laboratories. The research activities of the various work groups are highly interlinked. Numerous co-operations with other national and international research laboratories exist, especially with the MPI of Cognitive Neuroscience in Leipzig. Members of the Institute were responsible for the organisation of several national and international conferences. |
Institute of Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Personality and Psychodiagnostics |
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Institute of Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Personality and Psychodiagnostics New research projects were started in co-operation with the Federal Institute of Employment in the area of career rehabilitation. In developmental psychology, intensive research is being done in all stages of human development. These projects are of an interdisciplinary nature in co-operation with both medical and sport science, and connects 5 universities in Germany. The infant research was intensified and expanded. The special counselling centre for parents with small children (0-3 years) was expanded on account of increasing interest for contact with the University's children's clinic and the Department of Youth. A significant role of personality psychology and psychological intervention comprises drug prevention and combating drug-related diseases. Research conducted in this area of public health consists of studies dealing with epidemics, prevention and intervention. |
Institute of Applied Psychology |
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Institute of Applied Psychology Within the scope of research performed by the Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology (Prof. G. Mohr) on the willingness to change occupations among low-qualified workers, an instrument was developed to measure the self-efficacy expectancy as well as to translate and test an English scale dealing with this topic. In addition, a concentration in the areas of leadership and delegation as well as part-time management was undertaken. In co-operation with other universities, a curriculum for the continuing education of Diploma psychologists in Organisational Psychology was designed. This would allow such graduates to obtain an advanced certificate in this area. Within the research of the Educational Psychology Department (Prof. E. Witruk), special mention should be made to the joint work with the educational department of the Chinese University in Hong Kong (Prof. Ho) on the topic of congenital alexia. The results were presented at an international conference and prepared for publication. The beginning of work on the European Union research project "IMAGINE - Integrated Multimedia Applications Generating Innovative Networks in European Digital Towns" should also be pointed out. Within the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology (Prof. H. Schröder), praxis verification and effects were evaluated and secured for the following course programmes: performance anxiety, dealing with death and dying, regulating negative feelings, self-projecting ability of reflection, and coping with stress. Work has also begun on a project dealing with patients needing rehabilitation after jaw and facial disfigurement. Finally, the analysis and planning of drug and substance prevention in Saxony were commenced. |
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Research Report 1999 | |||||
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