We are interested in constructing biosystems to probe and evolve living matter.
Our interest spreads from studying the behaviour of biomolecules in temperature gradients, to light driven microfluidics, building optothermal molecule traps, studying kinetics in living cells and probing early molecular evolution experimentally by creating autonomous, synthetic evolving systems. We combined convection with PCR to replicate and select DNA in a single microchamber. This emulates conditions in hydrothermal vents to probe possible origins of life at the ocean seafloor.
Along the way we develop methods which might be essential for future systems biology. For example, we developed all-optical methods to move small molecules and fluids, measure the binding affinity of biomolecules in complex biological fluids such as serum, studied molecular crowding in living cells with an optical lock-in approach.
We drive to apply the methods in biotechnology. Stefan Duhr and Philipp Baaske have founded the startup company NanoTemper Technologies for the analysis of biomolecule interactions and enzyme activities.
Since August 2010, we are receiving funding from an ERC Starting Grant. We obtained the Klung-Wilhelmy Weberbank Price 2011, the highest paying price for young Physicists in Germany.
A Robust and Rapid Method of Producing Soluble, Stable, and Functional G-Protein Coupled Receptors [PDF]Karolina Corin, Philipp Baaske, Deepali B. Ravel, Junyao Song, Emily Brown, Xiaoqiang Wang, Sandra Geissler, Christoph J. Wienken, Moran Jerabek-Willemsen, Stefan Duhr, Dieter Braun, Shuguang Zhang
PLoS One 6, e23036 (2011). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0023036
Molecular Interaction Studies Using Microscale Thermophoresis [PDF]Moran Jerabek-Willemsen, Chistoph J. Wienken, Dieter Braun, Philipp Baaske and Stefan Duhr
ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies 9, 342-553 (2011). DOI: 10.1089/adt.2011.0380
Emergence of Information Transmission in a Prebiotic RNA ReactorBenedikt Obermayer, Hubert Krammer, Dieter Braun, and Ulrich Gerland
PRL 107, 018101 (2011)
Links: APS Viewpoint, PhysOrg
Peptide surfactants for cell-free production of functional G-protein-coupled receptorsXiaoqiang Wang, Karolina Corina, Philipp Baaske, Christoph J. Wienken, Moran Jerabek-Willemsen, Stefan Duhr, Dieter Braun, and Shuguang Zhang
PNAS 108, 9049-9054 (2011)
Protein-binding assays in biological liquids using microscale thermophoresis [PDF]Christoph J. Wienken, Philipp Baaske, Ulrich Rothbauer, Dieter Braun and Stefan Duhr
Nature Communications 1, 100 (2010)
Links: Bionity, Research Highlight Nature Methods
Thermal Trap for DNA Replication [PDF]Christof B. Mast and Dieter Braun
Physical Review Letters 104, 188102 (2010)
Press: Physics Today, FAZ, Nano 3Sat, Movie:Focus Online, Der Standard, Sueddeutsche, New Scientist, SciNexx
Optical Thermophoresis for Quantifying the Buffer Dependence of Aptamer Binding [PDF]Philipp Baaske, Christoph J. Wienken, Philipp Reineck, Stefan Duhr, Dieter Braun, Angewandte Chemie 49, 2238-2241 (2010)
Press: Deutschlandfunk (Radio)
Hybridization Kinetics is Different Inside Cells [PDF]Ingmar Schoen, Hubert Krammer and Dieter Braun
PNAS 106, 21649–21654 (2009)
An Optical Conveyor for Molecules [PDF]Franz M. Weinert and Dieter Braun
Nano Letters 9, 4264-4267 (2009)
Optically driven fluid flowFranz M. Weinert and Dieter Braun
Journal of Applied Physics 104, 104701 (2008)
Microscale Fluid Flow Induced byFranz M. Weinert, Jonas A. Kraus, Thomas Franosch and Dieter Braun
Physical Review Letters 100, 164501 (2008)
From the cover:Philipp Baaske, Franz M. Weinert, Stefan Duhr, Kono H. Lemke, Michael J. Russell, Dieter Braun
PNAS 104, 9346–9351 (2007)
[Commentary by Eugene V. Koonin, PNAS 104, 9105-9106 (2007)]
From the cover:Stefan Duhr and Dieter Braun
PNAS 103, 19678–19682 (2006)
[Commentary by Dean Astumian, PNAS 104, 3-4 (2007)]
