Regina Hecker

EDUCATION

College / University

University of Applied Sciences Emden (FH)

Highest Degree

Dipl. Ing. (FH)

Major Subjects

Biotechnology, molecular genetics, biochemistry

Country

Germany

Lab Experience

Various biochemical and molecular biology techniques, cell culture, nucleic acids and protein methods, protein expression and purification, monoclonal antibody obtaining, luminescence measurements

Projects / Research

05/2003 – 10/2003: "Investigation of a new scaffold protein in the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway", Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (Ph.D. N. Tonks), Cold Spring Harbor/NY, USA
07/2002: "Characterisation of the stable maintenance of chromosomes proteins SMC1 and SMC3", Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Dr. M. Konrad), Göttingen, Germany
09/2001 – 02/2002: "Overexpression, purification and characterisation of active site mutants of aminoacylase 1" Health Sector, National Research Council of Canada (Dr. R. Ménard), Montreal, Canada
02/2001: "Product formation with multi-componant reactions (MRCs) using acid anhydrides as the starting material" Morphochem AG (Dr. A. Dömling), München, German

Publications

Lindner HA, Lunin VV, Alary A, Hecker R, Cygler M, Ménard R (2003) Essential roles of zinc ligation and enzyme dimerization for catalysis in the aminoaclase-1/M20 familiy. J Biol Chem 10: 1074

Scholarships / Awards

2003 – 2004:	Stipend International Max Planck Research School
2001 – 2002:	DAAD scholarship for internship in Canada

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

My primary interest focuses on signal transduction. The complex mechanisms by which an extracellular stimulus is registered and converted into an intracellular response fascinates me. My goal is to obtain a deeper understanding in the molecular basis of these processes and thus be equipped to develop new therapeutic approaches for diseases associated with dysfunctional signaling like cancer, cardiovascular inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.