Dr. Martina Wirth

Research:

The Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a major intracellular protein degradation pathway regulating fundamental cellular processes such as cell cycle progression, DNA replication and DNA damage responses. Ubiquitin, but also the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) play an important role in controlling protein degradation and cell cycle transitions in a highly temporal and spatial manner. My research aims to understand how Ubiquitin and SUMO signaling work together to ensure protein homeostasis and cell proliferation.

Curriculum vitae:

I received my PhD from the International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Biology (University of Göttingen, Germany). During my doctoral research in the group of Dr. Wolfgang Fischle at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry I elucidated the function of C. elegans and mammalian sirtuins in chromatin organization and mitochondrial energy metabolism. For my postdoctoral research I joined the group of Dr. Sharon Tooze at the London Research Institute and later at the Francis Crick Institute (London, UK) working on autophagy, an important stress survival and quality control pathway. My research focused on identifying molecular determinants that regulate the binding of autophagy adaptors and receptors to ATG8 proteins, which is critical for removal and degradation of protein aggregates and damaged organelles through the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. Through my work on autophagy I have become interested in neurodegenerative diseases and early stage translation research. In the group of Professor Anthony Schapira (University College London, UK) I worked in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company EISAI on a drug discovery project to develop treatments of Parkinson’s disease.

Since October 2020, I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the groups of Professor Alfred Vertegaal and Professor Huib Ovaa, where I am expanding my knowledge on pathways regulating cellular protein homeostasis. My research focuses on investigating the role of Ubiquitin and SUMO signaling in regulating proteostasis and cell proliferation.