Prof. Erik Christian Böttger, M.D.
The ribosome is target of important anti-infective agents, including such diverse drugs as aminoglycosides, macrolides and tetracyclines. These compounds interfere with essential steps in protein synthesis, e.g. decoding, proofreading and peptidyl transfer. My group is studying the role of ribosomal components in protein synthesis, in antibiotic action and in human disease, with an aim on identifying mechanisms of and therapeutic targets in ribosome dysfunction. In collaboration with the ETH we have started a synthetic biology approach in drug discovery by combining molecular genetics with chemical synthesis, i.e. use genetic mutants to guide the synthesis of novel aminoglycoside compounds with the view to develop derivatives with altered drug-target interaction.
Current Research Topics are: