Medizinische Universitaet Wien

Prof. Dr. Werner Sieghart
Spitalgasse 23
1090 Wien
Austria

The Medical University of Vienna is the largest Medical University in Austria. Partner Werner Sieghart, is Head of the Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, that mainly investigates the structure, pharmacology and function of important receptors and transporters of the CNS. W. Sieghart is an expert in the structure, pharmacology and function of GABAA receptor subtypes.

In the Neurocypres project he will over-express recombinant GABAA receptor subtypes or fragments thereof in Sf9 cells, or other expression systems (partner 19, Regulon), purify them to homogeneity in milligram amounts, and subject them to crystallization and X-ray analysis with Sixma (partner 2) and Welte (partner 16). In addition, these constructs will be used to clarify the complex pharmacology of these receptors by identifying the various sites of interaction with drugs and toxins (Tsetlin – partner 8), using wild-type and mutated receptors, co-crystallization with ligands and NMR protein-ligand interactions (Spyroulias – partner 15). Structural features of compounds leading to receptor subtype selectivity will be investigated by SPR (Danielson- partner 20) and small targeted drug libraries and compounds developed by fragment based drug design (de Esch – partners 17). Structural information will be supplemented by in silico ligand docking studies. Next partner >