Biochemie-Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg (BZH)

Welcome to the BZH!
The BZH (Biochemie-Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg – Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center) is
a central institution of the Heidelberg University and combines biochemical research and teaching. Before
you will meet us individually in this second scientific report of the BZH, let me introduce you to our center.
Since its founding in 1997 the BZH has steadily grown to presently accomodate 13 research groups with a
total number of about 200 scientific and non-scientific co-workers. Over 70% of the scientists are funded
from external sources. Within the last four years we recruited Thomas Söllner (Full Professor, Medical
Faculty), Frank Weber and Dimitris Liakopoulos (Junior group leaders; Emmy-Nöther-Programme and
SFB 638). While we had to say goodbye to Christian Ungermann (Professor, University of Osnabrück) and
Prof. W. Merz (retired), we are glad to host Prof. Heiner Schirmer (retired 2007) for the near future. Due to
changes in the Medical Faculty, we lost six research positions to Mannheim in 2007. However, as a partial
compensation the BZH will receive two new junior groups, further underlining the dynamic structure of the
institution. Within the next two years, we aim to host almost equal numbers of research groups headed by
professors and junior group leaders.
The BZH has not only grown in numbers, it has also established itself as a leading German university institution
performing high-level interdisciplinary research. A modern department structure with flat hierarchies
and complementary research interests creates an exciting atmosphere. The group leaders follow their
independent research plans, but most of them are embedded in a more general theme analysing dynamic
protein assemblies that control a broad variety of cellular transport processes. These include membrane
budding and fusion, transport to and across membranes, chromosome segregation and molecular clocks.
The SFB 638 (Dynamics of macromolecular complexes in biosynthetic transport; Felix Wieland) was successfully
launched in 2004 and has recently been renewed. Other activities include the SFB 544 (Control
of tropical infectious diseases) and a number of national and international research networks. The majority
of the BZH research groups are part of the Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks which started in October
2006. The Cluster of Excellence allows us currently to recruit a junior group leader to strengthen our ties to
the just completed, interdisciplinary Bioquant Institute. The Cluster supports the infrastructure on the campus
also by major investments in two technology platforms at the BZH – Mass Spectrometry (together with
the ZMBH) and Macromolecular Crystallization. This improves our experimental toolbox which already
includes protein crystallography, in vivo as well as single molecule imaging and one of the world leading
centers for quantitative lipid analysis by mass spectrometry.
The BZH is quite unique as the professors and staff belong to three different faculties (Medicine, Biosciences
and Chemistry). Accordingly, the BZH offers training in biochemistry for about 800 students every year.
We are dedicated to excellent training of the next generation of Molecular Life Scientists. The transition
from the traditional Diploma to Bachelor and Master Programmes is almost completed. A number of
Graduate schools and PhD Programmes in Heidelberg link the BZH with other institutions, including the
ZMBH and the EMBL, to offer optimal training at the frontiers of Life Sciences.
4 Introduction