Dr. Bernd Wollscheid

 

Main Goals, Keywords

Dr. Bernd Wollscheid and his research group are focusing on the development of a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the cellular surfaceome as a complex information gateway to the microenvironment. Further information about our research topics can be found here: Google Scholar / PubMed.

Keywords:

Systems Biology, Surfaceome Biology, Biomedical Proteomics, Quantitative Mass Spectrometry

Group Members

1 group leader, 1 PostDoc, 4 PhD students, 1 project/lab manager

Previous and Current Research

The molecular composition and dynamic organization of the plasma membrane (PM) determines how a cell can interact with its environment at any given moment. Cell surface proteins are crucial for cell-cell communication, interaction with pathogens, binding of chemical messengers, and responding to environmental perturbations. Alterations in the PM protein composition, as a result of a disease may well define phenotypic and functional differences between normal, and for example tumour cells. Cell surface proteins can be markers of disease and are potential targets for pharmaceutical intervention. The goals of our research group are:

• To develop new methodologies for the specific labeling of proteins residing in the plasma membrane
• To capture, analyze and predict dynamic cell surface processes
• To establish maps of cell surface protein networks in order to identify differentiation marker patterns as therapeutic target groups towards predictive and preventive medicine
• To decipher specific ligand-receptor interactions on the cell surface

In order to achieve these goals, we are utilizing state-of-the-art quantitative chemoproteomic tools in combination with fluorescence activated cell sorting technology, molecular imaging techniques and bioinformatic tools.

Future Projects

• Deciphering the extracellular interactome: Many to many interactions and how they influence cellular states. · Host-pathogen interactions: How pathogens hijack cellular communication pathways. Please contact me (wbernd@ethz.ch) directly for details about these projects.
• Deciphering the extracellular interactome: Many to many interactions and how they influence cellular states.
• Host-pathogen interactions: How pathogens hijack cellular communication pathways.

Please contact me (wbernd@ethz.ch) directly for details about these projects.

Techniques and Equipment

Our group is tightly integrated in the Institute for Molecular Systems Biology (IMSB), the NCCR Neuro and the Swiss Systems Biology initiative SystemsX. The ETH Zurich, Hönggerberg campus offers state-of-the art facilities for quantitative proteomics, computational analysis of large datasets, advanced light and electron microscopy, high-throughput, image-based RNAi and chemical compound screening.

Selected Publications

• Frei AP, Jeon O, Kilcher S, Moest H, Henning LM, Jost C, Plückthun A, Mercer J, Aebersold R, Carreira EM, Wollscheid B. A chemoproteomic technology for the ligand-based receptor identification on living cells and tissues. Nat Biotechnol. 2012 Oct;30(10):997-1001
• Slavoff, S. A. & Saghatelian, A. Discovering ligand-receptor interactions. Nat Biotechnol 30, 959–961 (2012) http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v30/n10/full/nbt.2373.html
• De Souza N. The Power of TRICEPS. Nature Methods, 2012 http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v9/n11/full/nmeth.2237.html
• Bock T, Moest H, Omasits U, Dolski S, Lundberg E, Frei A, Hofmann A, Bausch-Fluck D, Jacobs A, Krayenbuehl N, Uhlén M, Aebersold R, Frei K, Wollscheid B. Proteomic analysis reveals drug accessible cell surface N-glycoproteins of primary and established Glioblastoma cell lines. J Proteome Res. 2012 Oct 5;11(10):4885-93
• Further reading: Google Scholar / PubMed.

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI), SystemsX.ch, Agilent technologies, Roche

URL

http://www.imsb.ethz.ch/researchgroup/wbernd