Self-organization of protein systems

We study how protein systems self-organize into dynamic assemblies in space and time.

Instead of looking at these phenomena in an intact cell, our group uses a “bottom-up” synthetic biology approach to rebuild cellular processes from purified components in vitro. We are particularly interested in the mechanism of Bacterial cell division and Small GTPase signaling.

We combine Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Fluorescence Microscopy, Quantitative Image Analysis and Microfabrication to bridge the gap between molecular structures of protein complexes and their emergent biological functions.

Our final goal is to reveal the mechanisms of protein self-organization, which give rise to the living cell. 

The Loose Lab is part of ISTA, located in Klosterneuburg, close to Vienna, Austria, where we have close collaborations with bacterial cell biologists, biochemists and structural biologists as well asl bio- and soft matter physicists.

Our research is supported by research grants from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the European Research Council (ERC) and the EMBO Young Investigator Program.