06.08.2024 Katharina Höfer receives LOEWE Top Professorship at University of Marburg

The LOEWE research funding programme of the state of Hesse is providing around €2.8 million over a period of five years for research into the role of RNA modifications in biology and new mechanisms of gene regulation. Congrats, Katharina!

Dr Katharina Höfer is researching the functional characterisation of RNA and has made a significant contribution to the discovery of another building block – the redox factor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) – in bacteria. Her work aims to understand the role of RNA modifications in biology and to discover new mechanisms of gene regulation. The PI of GRK 2937’s Project 6 is investigating how RNA modifications influence the global carbon cycle and how they can be used to develop efficient synthetic carbon fixation pathways. Her research on NAD-RNA also has potential for applications in medicine, vaccine development and pharmaceutical technology.

Prof. Dr Thomas Nauss, President of the University of Marburg: “Katharina Höfer’s ground-breaking and highly innovative scientific achievements are a great asset to the University of Marburg. With her interdisciplinary orientation, she builds bridges as a researcher and strengthens the strategic profile of the University of Marburg with her outstanding basic research at the interface of three areas: ‘Microbiology, Biodiversity and Climate’, ‘Inflammation, Immunology, Tumour Biology’ and ‘Virology and Infection Biology’. It also makes an important contribution to Marburg’s Cluster of Excellence project, M4C. We are delighted that, with the support of the state’s LOEWE programme, we have succeeded in retaining such a committed and already internationally renowned young top scientist at the University of Marburg.”

“Dr Katharina Höfer and her team are on the trail of new biomolecules. With their cutting-edge research, they are working on fundamentally new tools for the regulation of cellular processes. In the long term, this could lead to next-generation RNA therapeutics,” said Science Minister Timon Gremmels. “After successfully acquiring one of the prestigious ERC Starting Grants in 2023, Dr Höfer will now further sharpen the strategic profile of the University of Marburg with the LOEWE Top Professorship.”

Click here to read the full press release (in German).

Source: Press release from the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture