Contact

Prof. Achim Stocker
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
University of Bern
Freiestrasse 3
CH-3012 Bern Switzerland

Phone: +41 31 631 43 15
FAX: +41 31 631 39 93

E-Mail: achim.stocker@dcb.unibe.ch
Web: http://stocker.dcb.unibe.ch

Secretary

Christina Schüpbach
E-Mail:christina.schuepbach@dcb.unibe.ch
Phone: +41 31 631 43 43
FAX: +41 31 631 48 87

Objectives of research

We are investigating structural and functional aspects of human lipid carriers associated with retinopathies and neurological disorders. In particular, we try to understand how members of the SEC14-like family of proteins recognize and shuttle specific lipids between compartments. Besides the biophysical aspects of targeted lipid-transfer we aim to understand the linkage between dysfunctional SEC14-like proteins and human diseases.

Major research objectives:

• Crystal structure determination of SEC14-like lipid carriers and structural investigation of disease causing single missense mutations.
• Functional and structural characterization of lipid specificity and cellular targeting signals.

CV

• 1979 – 1986: Studies in Biochemistry, University of Zürich. Diploma thesis on “Differential Chemical Modification of Cytochrome-c” under the guidance of Prof. H.R. Bosshard.

• 1986 – 1992: Awarded PhD Thesis in Chemistry at the University of Zürich: “Identification and Isolation of the Tocopherol-Cyclase of Anabaena-Variabilis Kützing” (supervisor Prof. W.-D. Woggon)

• 1993 – 1996: Postdoctoral research at the Society for Biotechnological Research (GBF) Braunschweig, Germany. “Synthesis and crystallization of semi-synthetic D-amino acid oxidase for X-ray crystallography and biosensor applications”.

• 1996 – 2000: Postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bern. “In-vitro expression and characterization of human Tocopherol-binding proteins”.

• 2001 – 2003: Postdoctoral research fellow with Prof. Ulrich Baumann at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern. “Structure determination of human lipid-transfer proteins”.

• 2003 – 2006: Research group leader in the group of Prof. Peter Dimroth at the Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich. “Functional and structural investigations on the ATP-synthase of bacillus sp. TA2”.

• Since 2006: Lecturer and group leader at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern. “Structural and functional studies on lipid carriers associated with retinopathies and neurological disorders”.

• Since 2014: Associate professor in biochemistry at the University of Bern (Assoziierter Professor).