In May, Nikolai Huwa defended his dissertation on 'Biochemical characterisation of modular dirigent proteins'. He conducted research in secondary metabolism enzymology on OsJAC1, a protein that helps rice defend itself against pathogens. The project was funded by the DFG and worked on in cooperation with Ulrich Schaffrath (RWTH) and Oliver Weiergräber (IBI-7). Nikolai was able to publish the structure of the two domains and developed a solid hypothesis on the glycoside binding of the dirigent protein domain. This activity was previously without a precedent.
Nikolai drove the project forward in particular by seeking cooperation with partners and contributing new methods in a contructive way. Nikolai is now working in environmental toxicology at EAWAG in Zurich as a postdoctoral researcher. Thank you Nikolai for the productive years, your commitment and we are happy that you find your new task fulfilling and fun.