Nikolaus Pfanner receives the Schleiden Medal from Leopoldina for insights into mitochondria
Freiburg, Sep 01, 2021
Nikolaus Pfanner. Photo: CIBSS
- First to decipher the composition of cellular power stations
- “The Schleiden Medal is an award for my entire research team.”
Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Pfanner, medical scientist and cell biologist at the University of Freiburg, has made a decisive contribution to the understanding of the membrane system of mitochondria. He has been honored for his work by the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina with the Schleiden Medal, which has been awarded since 1955 for outstanding findings in the field of cell biology. Nikolaus Pfanner was the first in the world to decipher the composition of mitochondria with his research team. These organelles are also known as cell power stations because they produce a large part of the energy-rich adenosine triphosphate (ATP) of the cells. In addition, they play an important role in many other metabolic processes and in programmed cell death. Since 1992, Nikolaus Pfanner has been a professor and director at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg.
“The Schleiden Medal is a great honor and distinction not only for me, but also for my outstanding colleagues who have enthusiastically contributed to research on cellular power stations,” says Nikolaus Pfanner. “I am particularly touched that three of my great scientific role models, George E. Palade, Walter Neupert and Gottfried Schatz, also received the Schleiden Medal.”
“I warmly congratulate Nikolaus Pfanner on his award,” says Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein, rector at the University of Freiburg. "Nikolaus Pfanner is an exemplary embodiment of the University of Freiburg's cutting-edge research and the connection to it. For almost 30 years, he has already shaped it with his outstanding work and contributed significantly to its radiance."
Nikolaus Pfanner gained many insights into how proteins that are active in cellular power stations reach their point of effect. After all, of the more than 1,000 proteins found in mitochondria and needed for their many functions, only a fraction are created on the basis of the mitochondria's own genetic information. For about 99 percent, the building instructions are located in the cell nucleus; they are produced in the cell fluid and then enter the cellular power plants. The two membranes of the mitochondria play an important role in this process. Nikolaus Pfanner identified receptors, transport channels and complex sorting mechanisms in them. He found out which proteins make up membrane transport mechanisms and how they are regulated. Many of his findings have found their way into textbooks on cell biology and biochemistry. In addition, he has contributed to the understanding of diseases, since malfunctions of protein transport can lead to serious diseases, especially of the nervous system and muscles.
About Nikolaus Pfanner
Nikolaus Pfanner studied medicine in Munich, where he already worked on mitochondrial protein import as part of his doctorate. After a research stay at Princeton University in the USA, he returned to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München as a group leader. In 1990 he habilitated in physiological chemistry. Since 1992, he has been Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Freiburg and Director at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Faculty of Medicine. He is a member of the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies as well as at the Center for Biological Signaling Studies BIOSS and the Spemann Graduate School for Biology and Medicine at the University of Freiburg. Pfanner has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2000. He has received several awards for his research findings, including the Max Planck Research Prize in 2002, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize in 2004, the Baden-Württemberg State Research Prize in 2008, the U.S. Stein and Moore Award in 2014, and the Otto Warburg Medal in 2015. His numerous publications have been cited more than 27,000 times by professional colleagues. In 2015, Nikolaus Pfanner received the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his services to Germany and Baden-Württemberg as a center of knowledge and education, as well as for his volunteer work.
About the Schleiden Medal
The Schleiden Medal is named after the Leopoldina member Matthias Jacob Schleiden (1804-1881). The botanist co-founded cell theory. The medal has been awarded by the Leopoldina since 1955 for outstanding findings in the field of cell biology.
About the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
As the National Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina provides independent science-based policy advice on socially relevant issues. To this end, the Academy develops interdisciplinary statements based on scientific findings. The Leopoldina represents German science in international bodies, including science-based advice to the annual G7 and G20 summits. It has 1,600 members from more than 30.
Contact University of Freiburg
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Nikolaus Pfanner
Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine
eMail: nikolaus.pfanner@biochemie.uni-freiburg.de
Bastian Strauch
Deputy Press Officer, University of Freiburg
Tel: +49 (0)761 308 4301
eMail: bastian.strauch@pr.uni-freiburg.de
Contact Leopoldina
Caroline Wichmann
Head of Department Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)345 472 39-800
eMail: presse@leopoldina.org