News from the Biomolecular Systems dept.

Current diagnostics for Candida bloodstream infections rely on slow, inconsistent lab cultures. Researchers synthesized precise replicas of fungal sugars to map the immune response and read each Candida species’ unique sugar “fingerprint.” This enables a fast, noninvasive bedside test that delivers reliable results within minutes and supports timely, targeted therapy. more

Oren Moscovitz and team have engineered CAR-T cells to combine traditional antigen recognition with a new cysteine-based sensor to detects cancer cells’ altered redox state, overcoming tumor evasion. Early data suggest applicability across multiple cancer types, including hard-to-treat forms like certain breast cancers, paving the way for more precise and effective treatments. more

She received €10,000 from the Körber Foundation for her doctoral research, which introduced a computational method to produce chemicals from renewable biomass.Now at the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC), Laura is designing bio-based chemicals with tailor-made properties —advancing a circular, fossil-free chemical economy. more

 Liming Zhang (UC Santa Barbara) and Peter Seeberger (MPICI) developed a recyclable handle that guides sugar building blocks during glycan synthesis, solving the long-standing challenge of reliably controlling bond orientation. This method can accelerate the development of diagnostic tools, drugs, and vaccines. more

She receives €50,000 in recognition of her pioneering work on the automated synthesis of complex carbohydrates—long overlooked in research, yet holding great promise for the development of tailored bio-inspired materials and innovative therapeutic approaches. more

The “FatLoop” project will use fatty acids from discarded oils to repurpose plastic waste into functional materials. Led by Dr. Manuel Häußler, FatLoop aims to lay the groundwork for a future beyond conventional plastics, with the long-term goal of developing fully recyclable and sustainable materials that match the versatility of plastics without their environmental footprint. The project has received €2 million in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
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With the support of an ERC Starting Grant, Dr. John J. Molloy will use light to design 3D organoboron molecules with tailored properties. His project, LUMIBOR, exploits the hybridization of boron—an element that can switch between planar and tetrahedral atomic configurations—to fine-tune its reactions via light activation. The envisioned molecules will provide versatile building blocks with enhanced reactivity for both fundamental research and industrial applications. more

The Glyconeer 3.1 represents the latest breakthrough in the automated assembly of complex sugar chains. The improved design and technology patented by Peter Seeberger’s research group make their synthesis fast, energy-efficient, and user-friendly. A better understanding of life’s most common molecules promises important advances in fields ranging from biotechnology to medicine and materials science.  
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Dr. Felix Löffler takes chemical synthesis out of flasks and beakers and replaces liquid solvents with solid polymer inks in a 3D multimaterial nanoprinter . A laser beam precisely transfers nanometric amounts of chemical compounds onto an acceptor surface, where thousands of different reactions can take place in parallel. The invention has applications in chemical engineering, biotechnology, and materials science. more

Fucoidan, a sugar released by algae, can trap carbon dioxide (CO2) for centuries but remains poorly understood due to its complex and diverse molecular structure. Dr. Conor Crawford recreated fucoidan in the lab to study which types are most effective at storing carbon. Better knowledge of its properties could contribute to technologies against climate change.
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Dr. Oren Moscovitz has been awarded €25,000 by the Max Planck Society for his promising research toward treatments and non-invasive diagnostics for cancers. Moscovitz and his team exploit unique sugar patterns found on cancer cells and develop ultra-small antibodies from alpacas (known as nanobodies) that bind to these sugars. more

The innovative combination of complex sugars and fluorine is a promising initial step towards developing more effective vaccines against some bacteria that cause meningitis. The compound designed by Peter Seeberger and Ryan Gilmour (University of Münster) triggered a strong immune response ... more