Introducing ZMB People - Johannes Koch
ZMB
Introducing ZMB People: Johannes Koch
Dr. Johannes Koch
Postdoctoral Researcher, Group Perihan Nalbant (until 2017)
Department of Molecular Cell Biology
Research Associate
Imaging Centre Campus Essen (ICCE)
Interview with Johannes on October 25th, 2018
What brings you here?
After school, I started studying Chemical Biology in Dortmund and did my Bachelor and Master there. Already at this time I got interested in microscopy and developed more interest into biology and so I looked for a PhD thesis in cell biology. That brought me to Essen to the lab of Perihan Nalbant and this is where I finally did my PhD. I continued doing my Postdoc here in Essen and also started working in the imaging facility (ICCE).
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the Rho GTPases, mainly Rac 1, CDC 42 and Rho A, which are the regulators of the cytoskeleton. We are interested in processes like cell migration, wound healing and embryonic development, where they play a crucial role. Therefore, we use, as a tool, fluorescent biosensors to elucidate the spatial and temporal regulation of these Rho GTPases and how they interact with their effectors and regulators. We do that using different cancer cell lines, so biochemical and cell biology methods are a major part of my work and also the project is heavily based on microscopy and image analysis.
What is the practical importance of your work to society?
So we are doing basic research on the Rho GTPases and thereby on the cytoskeleton of the cell and this is important mainly for cell migration. Migration is an important process in many disease related events like wound healing and embryonic development which are very important to be tightly regulated, also in cancer research because of metastasis where the migration of the cell is misregulated. So, we do basic research and try to get a better understanding of how the migration is regulated and therefore probably find starting points to continue with further drug development.
What special skills are needed for your work?
On the one hand you need a lot of knowledge about the theoretical background of your project, on the other hand a lot of technical skills, especially working with advanced microscopes and for the image analysis. But I think, most important, like for every kind of science, you need patience. There are a lot of things that you make up that won’t work, but you have to continue and get up again after every failure.
What do you enjoy about doing science?
On the one hand, I like to get really deep into one topic, to read about it, to discover new things there. On the other hand, I really like the people working in science because for most of them it’s not a 9 to 5 job, but they are really passionate about their science. So, it’s a lot of fun to work with other people on a topic, they are really enthusiastic about.
Does science influence your everyday life?
Yes, to me it means to be curious all the time, to be interested howtechnical things really work, to question things and not just accept them and to be critical about the information you get.
What do you value here at the ZMB?
Well, I really like the nice atmosphere here at the ZMB. If you need any help, the people will try to help you nevertheless all of them are normally busy with their own projects. I experience that they always find time to help you, at least can direct you to someone where you get help. I really like this.
What do you value here in the Ruhrgebiet?
The Ruhrgebiet means kind of home to me. I was born in Dortmund, now I’mworking in Essen and living in Duisburg, so I travelled all over the Ruhrgebiet. I really like the people here. They are very direct and honest, what is on the one hand a good thing, but it also can be seen kind of rough. But normally, the people here are really nice. Also, we have the best football clubs, especially i’m a huge fan of Borussia Dortmund.
How do you recreate in your leisure time?
Mostly, I spend time with my family, especially my little daughter. When there is additional time, I do a lot of sports, mostly running. Normally I go out into the countryside and enjoy nature. Although the Ruhrgebiet isn’t known for its great countryside you can find it nevertheless everywhere.
Interview, photos and video by Carola Schubert.
Copyright for all images and video: ZMB.