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Emeritus group

Biochemistry of Methanogens

The Emeritus Group Biochemistry of Methanogens is headed by Prof. Dr. Rudolf K. Thauer and funded by the Max Planck Society.The group started November 2007, immediately after R.K. Thauer retired at the age of 68 from the Department of Biochemistry.

The scientific focus of the group is on the biochemistry of methanogenic archaea, methanotrophic archaea and saccharolytic clostridia. The following specific topics are being addressed:

• Hydrogen activation: Elucidation of the structure of an iron–sulfur–cluster–free hydrogenase and of the iron-carbonyl cofactors of this enzyme, which in methanogenic archaea under conditions of nickel limitation is involved in the activation of molecular hydrogen.
• Methane formation and anaerobic methane oxidation: Elucidation of the catalytic mechanism of the nickel enzyme methyl-coenzyme M reductase, which in methanogenic archaea catalyzes the methane–forming step proper and which in methanotrophic archaea is involved in anaerobic methane oxidation.
• Ferredoxin reduction: Elucidation of the structure, function, and regulation of enzymes involved in the reduction of ferredoxin with NADH, NADPH, or H₂.

Homepage Biochemistry of methanogens

A group leader associated with the Emeritus Group is Seigo Shima, Ph.D. (Microbial Protein Structure).

Homepage Microbial protein structure