Jan Schuller

Research Area

The Schuller laboratory investigates the structure and function of macromolecular assemblies using structural biology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Our laboratory specializes in cryoEM single particle analysis. This method enables us not only to determine high-resolution structures of membrane-bound multiprotein complexes, but also to uncover their molecular dynamics, which is essential for understanding their biomolecular function. We are particularly interested. in biological systems that are responsible for biological carbon fixation, biological energy conversion and transport. Current topics of research are: (I) Prokaryotic Carbon concentration mechanism. (II) Thylakoid biogenesis and maintenance. (III) Carbon fixation and energy conservation in chemolithoautotrophic metabolism.

These biochemical pathways hold a wealth of opportunities for synthetic biology approaches that could be used to create improved microbes for the production of chemical compounds, to produce solar fuels and to sequester CO₂ to combat global warming.

Expertise

Cryo-EM single particle analysis
Structural Biology
Biochemistry
Cyanobacteria
Photosynthesis
Enzymatic mechanisms
CO₂ Fixation
Hydrogenases
Anaerobic metabolism

Recent Publications

1. Redox-coupled proton pumping drives carbon concentration in the photosynthetic complex I. Schuller JM^{* #}, Saura P^#, Thiemann J^#, Schuller SK, Gamiz-Hernandez AP, Kurisu G, Nowaczy^* MM, Kaila VRI^*. Nature Comm 2020 Jan 24;11(1):494.

2. Structural adaptations of photosynthetic complex I enable ferredoxin-dependent electron transfer. Schuller JM^*, Birrell JA, Tanaka H, Konuma T, Wulfhorst H, Cox N, Schuller SK, Thiemann J, Lubitz W, Sétif P, Ikegami T, Engel BD, Kurisu ^*, Nowaczyk MM^*. Science. 2019 Jan 18;363(6424):257-260

3. Structures of the cyanobacterial circadian oscillator frozen in a fully assembled state. Snijder J^#, Schuller JM^#, Wiegard A, Lössl P, Schmelling N, Axmann IM, Plitzko JM, Förster F, Heck AJ. Science. 2017 Mar 17;355(6330)