Contact

Prof. Dr. Martin Lochner
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
University of Bern
Freiestrasse 3
CH-3012 Bern
Switzerland

Phone: +41 31 631 3311

E-Mail: martin.lochner@dcb.unibe.ch
Web: http://lochner.dcb.unibe.ch

Secretary

Franziska Bornhauser
Phone: +41 31 631 4361
FAX: +41 31 631 4272

E-Mail: franziska.bornhauser@dcb.unibe.ch

Current Research Interests

The aim of our research is to develop synthetic molecular probes which will aid our understanding of ligand-gated ion channels but also allow their site-specific modification. These proteins are crucial for the rapid transmission of nerve impulses in the central and peripheral nervous system. We are interested in using such chemically modified ligand-gated ion channels in order to investigate their structure and function and to develop rapid binding assays for small molecules targeting such proteins. Furthermore, we are focusing on the synthesis of natural product-like compounds which can act as agonists or antagonists on ligand-gated ion channels.

CV

• 1973: Born in Baden, Aargau

• 1993-1998: Diploma studies in Chemistry, University of Zürich. Diploma thesis concerning the synthesis of unnatural polyamines under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Manfred Hesse.

• 1998-2003: Ph.D. thesis at the University of Basel under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Wolf-D. Woggon. Synthesis and study of iron porphyrin model compounds as mimics for cytochrome P450 enzymes.

• 2003-2004: Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Prof. Ian Paterson FRS, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK. Working on the total synthesis of the marine, anti-cancer natural product Peloruside A.

• 2004-2005: Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Dr. Sarah C. R. Lummis, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK. Structural and functional study of mutant serotonin 5-HT3 receptors as models for heteromeric ligand-gated ion channels.

• 2006-2009: Lecturer in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK. Research on fluorescent and photoaffinity probes for the serotonin 5-HT3 receptor.

• From Jan 2010: Swiss NSF Professor, University of Bern.