Research
The research of my group is focussed on the biological phenomenon of oxidative stress. For several years we are investigating the oxidative stress response of cells and organisms and the protective influence of antioxidants. In the focus within this topic is the oxidative damage to proteins, the protection of proteins from oxidation and the fate of a protein if it is oxidized. Therefore, we test various proteases and proteolytic systems for the ability to recognize and degrade oxidized proteins.
Recently we focus on oxidation-related changes in the aging process. Model systems of aging skin or brain are employed to investigate processes of lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, the removal of oxidized protein and effects of nutritional components on these processes. A central role in these investigations is the investigation of functional consequences of the formed age-related protein aggregates.