Profile

Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger

Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger

Professor

Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie
Institutsgebäude
Brüderstraße 34, Room 2-312
04103 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97-36901
Fax: +49 341 97-36909

Abstract

Annette G. Beck-Sickinger is Professor of Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Life Sciences at Leipzig University. She 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 CRC1423 "Structural dynamics of GPCR activation and signaling".

She has been awarded with many prices including the Leonidas Zervas Award (EPS), the gold medal of the Max-Bergmann-Kreis, and the Albrecht Kossel Price (2018; GDCh). In 2017, she was awarded with the Saxonian Order of Merit. In 2019 she was honored with the Du Vigneaud Award (American Peptide Society) and in 2023 with the Richard Willstätter Prize for Chemical Biology.

Main research of her group is in the range of biochemical and bioorganic reserach and includes ligand receptor interactions of neuropeptides, signal transduction, protein expression and modification by ligation strategies as well as carrier peptides.

Professional career

  • 06/2009 - 10/2009
    Visiting Professor Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
  • 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)
  • since 01/2017
    Member of the Board of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM); Vice President 2017-2019 and 2021-2023
  • since 01/2015
    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 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
  • since 01/2010
    Member of the University Council (Hochschulrat) Leipzig, since 2018 vice speaker
  • 07/2009 - 12/2021
    Member of the Board of the CRC-TR67 and Chair of the Graduate Programm “Matrix Engineering”
  • 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)
  • 01/2002 - 12/2012
    Speaker of the CRC 610 „Variation in Protein Conformation: Cell biological and Pathological Relevance“ (DFG)
  • since 07/2000
    Member of the Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Leipzig University

Annette G. Beck-Sickinger major reseach fields are structure-activity-relationships of peptide hormones and G protein coupled receptors and protein modification to study function and interaction. 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 enzyme catalysis.

  • Characterizing the molecular interaction between the Y receptor and arrestin (SFB1423/1 A04)
    Huster, Daniel
    Duration: 01/2020 - 12/2023
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik; SFB 1423: Strukturelle Dynamik der GPCR-Aktivierung und Signaltransduktion
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  • Molecular mechanisms of allosteric modulators at Y-receptors (SFB1423/1 B01)
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette
    Duration: 01/2020 - 12/2023
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; SFB 1423: Strukturelle Dynamik der GPCR-Aktivierung und Signaltransduktion
    show details
  • Targeting of central peptide receptors via nasal ligand application to modulate food intake (SFB1052/3 A03)
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette
    Duration: 07/2021 - 12/2024
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöR; SFB 1052: Mechanismen der Adipositas
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  • Development of modulators at the chemokine-like receptor to elucidate its role in obesity (SFB1052/3 C08)
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette
    Duration: 07/2021 - 12/2024
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöR; SFB 1052: Mechanismen der Adipositas
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  • Targeted delivery of drugs into adipocytes by peptide-mediated shuttling in a new obesity mouse model (SFB1052/3 B04)
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette
    Duration: 07/2021 - 12/2024
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöR; SFB 1052: Mechanismen der Adipositas
    show details

more projects

  • Spiller, S.; Wippold, T.; Bellmann-Sickert, K.; Franz, S.; Saalbach, A.; Anderegg, U.; Beck-Sickinger, A.
    Protease-Triggered Release of Stabilized CXCL12 from Coated Scaffolds in an Ex Vivo Wound Model
    Pharmaceutics. 2021. 13 (10).
    DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101597
    show details
  • Isbilir, A.; Serfling, R.; Möller, J.; Thomas, R.; De Faveri, C.; Zabel, U.; Scarselli, M.; Beck-Sickinger, A.; Bock, A.; Coin, I.; Lohse, M. J.; Annibale, P.
    Determination of G-protein–coupled receptor oligomerization by molecular brightness analyses in single cells
    Nature protocols. 2021. 16 (3). pp. 1419-1451
    DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00458-1
    show details
  • Tang, T.; Findeisen, C.; Chen, Q.; Zhao, W.; Kaiser, A.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, H.; Qu, H.; Yi, C.; Ma, L.; Han, S.; Zhao, Q.; Beck-Sickinger, A.; Wu, B.
    Structural basis for ligand recognition of the neuropeptide Y Y-2 receptor
    Nature Communications. 2021. 12 (1).
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21030-9
    show details
  • Schüß, C.; Oanh Vu; Schubert, M.; Du, Y.; Mishra, N. M.; Tough, I. R.; Stichel, J. D.; Weaver, C. D.; Emmitte, K. A.; Cox, H. M.; Meiler, J.; Beck-Sickinger, A.
    Highly Selective Y-4 Receptor Antagonist Binds in an Allosteric Binding Pocket
    Journal of medicinal chemistry. 2021. 64 (5). pp. 2801-2814
    DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02000
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  • Heyder, N.; Kleinau, G.; Speck, D. et al.
    Structures of active melanocortin-4 receptor-Gs-protein complexes with NDP-alpha-MSH and setmelanotide
    Cell research. 2021. 31 (11). pp. 1176-1189
    DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00569-8
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more publications

  • Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Du Vigneaud Award
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)
    awarded in 2019 by American Peptide Society.
    show details
  • Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Albrecht-Kossel-Preis
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)
    awarded in 2018 by Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker.
    show details
  • Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Sächsischer Verdienstorden
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)
    awarded in 2017 by Freistaat Sachsen.
    show details
  • Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Max Bergmann Gold Metal
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)
    awarded in 2009 by Max Bergmann Kreis.
    show details
  • Andere herausragende Auszeichnungen: Chemistry Europe Fellow Award
    Beck-Sickinger, Annette (Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie)
    awarded in 2019.
    show details

more awards

  • Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)
    Vanderbilt-Leipzig Collaboration: International Student and Research Exchange Programme
    Start Date of Collaboration: 01/01/2009
    External participating organisations: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, United States)
    Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Meiler, Jens; Albrecht, Anett
    show details
  • Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)
    Projet émergent TRAIL INNOVATHER
    Start Date of Collaboration: 01/10/2017
    Ended on: 30/09/2020
    Involved persons: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Morgat, Clement
    show details

more cooperations

  • Internationale Tagung
    4GPCRnet 2022
    Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum AöR
    Event Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette; Bock, Andreas; Liebscher, Ines
    26/09/2022 - 29/09/2022
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  • Internationale Tagung
    34. Europäisches und 8. internationales Peptidsymposium
    Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)
    Event Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette
    04/09/2016 - 09/09/2016
    show details
  • Internationale Tagung
    11. Internationales NPY-PYY-PP Symposium
    Biochemie/Bioorganische Chemie; Institut für Biochemie; Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum (BBZ)
    Event Organiser: Beck-Sickinger, Annette
    22/08/2015 - 26/08/2015
    show details

more events

  • Modul "Receptor Biochemistry and Signal Transduction"

  • Modul "Protein Chemistry/ Enzymology"

  • Modul "Bioorganic Chemistry"

  • Modul "Fundamentals of Biochemistry"

  • Journalclub: Discussion of current biochemical publications

  • Modul "Scientific work"