Prof. Dr. Barbara Saccà

Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB)
Faculty of Biology
University of Duisburg-Essen
Universitätsstr. 2
45141 Essen

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• ZMB Research Program
  Molecular and Chemical Cell Biology

Research Overview

Our main goal is to create programmable nanoscale compartments that emulate essential features of biological systems. By controlling molecular interactions inside these nanosized compartments and across their boundaries, we aim to establish DNA-based nanoarchitectures as powerful tools to dissect, reconstruct, and ultimately engineer biological function from the bottom up.

Research Focus
We investigate the effect of nanoconfinement on (multivalent) binding interactions and analyze how complex formation is affected by the geometric arrangement, flexibility, and stoichiometry of ligands, as well as unspecific electrostatic interactions at the host-guest interface and the presence of molecular crowders.

A particular focus lies on protein behavior within the nanosized lumen. We study how confinement affects the kinetics of enzymes, the motion of molecular motors, and the spatial orientation of proteins under defined geometrical constraints.

Beyond internal processes, we explore how DNA nanocompartments communicate with their surroundings. By engineering the permeability characteristics of these nanochambers, we aim to precisely regulate the entry and exit of molecules and thus control the exchange of information across the compartment boundary.

A recent advancement in our research focuses on the interaction between DNA nanocompartments and lipid bilayers, aiming to integrate these nanodevices in cellular model systems.