MPI: Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry
The Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry belongs to the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Sciences (MPS), an independent, non-profit research organization and to a large extent financed by the federal and state governments.
The research of the Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry combines biophysical and biochemical analyses with synthetic coordination chemistries, performed in two departments by some 150 scientists and support stuff, each managed by a director.
Long-term research objectives
The long-term research objectives are to understand the mechanism underlying the functions of the studied metalloproteins and to use this information to generate artificial molecular assemblies ("machines") that mimic the natural systems, which could solve a lot opf energy related problems:
- artificial photosynthesis
- water splitting
- hydrogen production etc.
Research activities
Research in the department of Professor Wieghardt centers at the development of the extraordinary coordination chemistry of the active sites of certain metalloproteins and the synthesis of functional, biologically inspired new catalysts. Central focus are the essential trace elements iron, manganese and copper. Five areas are actively pursued:
- Investigation and modelling of the wateroxidizing manganese cluster in PS II.
- Oxygen activation in non-heme iron proteins; high-valent iron coordination chemistry.
- Radical containing metalloenzymes: galactose oxidase, amine oxidases and ribonucleotide reductases.
- Fundamental coordination chemistry of systems containing organic radicals and open-shell transition metal ions.
- Spin coupling phenomena in polynuclear, molecular transition metal ions.
Research in the department of Professor Lubitz aims at the structure-function relationship of metal centers in native and artificial metalloproteins and related model compounds. i.e.
- isolation, purification and genetically / chemically manipulation of native metalloproteins
- synthesized new proteins and incorporate metals and metal complexes
- determination of the electronic and geometrical structures of these systems using various methods, in particular optical, vibrational and magnetic resonance spectroscopy
