In 2009, I completed my studies in biology at the Philipps University Marburg with a diploma degree. Afterwards, I obtained my doctoral degree in 2015 at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the same university. During this early research phase, I acquired deep insights and experience into the field of biosensorics, intermolecular interaction analysis and bioassay development. After that, I became part of a team that originated from the working group of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Klebe, which explored the stabilization of protein crystals under the harsh conditions of crystal soaking experiments. Furthermore, we implemented this innovative and very successful technology for industrial applications in the early drug discovery. As a result, I became a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the university spin-off company CrystalsFirst GmbH in 2018. Our startup company specializes in conducting structure- and protein crystal-based small molecule/fragment screenings, delivering high-quality structural data with high information density for the medicinal chemistry projects of our clients. After leaving the startup, I sought to return to academic research and seized the opportunity to join Prof. Grünweller's research group. My main research goals include elucidation of the interaction between small molecules and the SARS-CoV-2 helicase NSP13 by means of X-ray crystallography, as well as the search for protein interactions with RNA sequence and structural elements of Alphacoronaviruses.
