Daumke Lab

Artistic view on the pinching of clathrin-coated vesicles by the mechano-chemical GTPase dynamin. Structural work in our group has clarified the oligomerization mode of dynamin on membranes and led to a GTPase-driven ratcheting model leading to membrane constriction.

© Yvette Roske, Katja Fälber

The shape of cellular membrane is intimately linked to cellular function. We explore structure, function and mechanism of molecular machines that remodel cellular membranes to facilitate membrane trafficking and the maintenance of cellular organelles. To this end, we apply a combination of structural biological, biochemical and cell biological methods.

Dysfunction of such molecular machines, for example by mutations, is often associated with human disease, such as muscular dystrophy or neurodegenerative disorders. Our research contributes to a molecular understanding of the disease phenotypes and may contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches.

See ‘Research’ for specific project descriptions.

A short overview on our recent projects is shown below.