Senior Scientists
Prof. Dr. Achim Paululat, Head of the Department
achim.paululat (et) uos.de
Educated in Biology, Chemistry and Educational Sciences at the WWU University of Münster (Germany), I gained my PhD in Biology. Afterwards I was trained as a postdoctoral fellow and assistent at the Philipps-University Marburg (Germany) with an internship at the HHMI in Boston (USA). I received fellowships from the Dr. Jost Henkel Foundation, the Fritz-ter-Meer-Foundation and the NRW-Foundation. Since 2004 I am leading the Department of Zoology & Developmental Biology at the University of Osnabruck (Germany). Focus of my research centres on developmental biology, muscle and heart physiology. My laboratory uses Drosophila melanogaster as a model organisms and a variety of techniques to answer questions involving different aspects of cardiogenesis, heart maintenance, myogenesis and nephrology. Funding of our research has been/is provided by the DFG, DAAD, FWF, EU-NoE Myores, Israel-Lower Saxony Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM) and our University - in the past and recently. I have served as the dean of the Biology & Chemistry department in 2007-2008 and 2016-2018. As a speaker of several graduate schools I have been involved in organising educational modules at the PhD level. Recently, I was elected as a consultant “Fachgutachter” at the DFG.
apl. Prof. Dr. Gunter Purschke, Senior Scientist and Group Leader
guenter.purschke (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
Educated in Biology and Chemistry, Philosophy and Educational Sciences at the Georg August University in Göttingen, Germany, I earned my PhD in Biology at Göttingen in 1984. I then moved as a scientific assistant (post doc) at the Department of Biology and Chemistry at the University of Osnabruck. After several short-term research fellowships aboard I earned my Venia Legendi in Zoology (Habilitation) at the University of Osnabruck in 1997. After being assistant professor I became an “Extraordinary Professor” in 2004. My research focusses on phylogeny, evolution, systematics and morphology applying a variety of different methods. Special emphasis is laid on annelids, which constitute one of the most important invertebrate taxa. Especially the marine forms, known as polychaetes, are one of the most widespread, abundant and diverse elements of the marine fauna. The evolution of certain organ systems is in the center of my research. I am involved in various book projects, i. a. in editing the annelid volumes of the Handbook of Zoology. I am teaching phylogeny, systematics and marine biology and I am offering excursions to Sylt and Roscoff (Fr) for our students
Priv. Doz. Dr. Heiko Harten (formerly Meyer), Senior Scientist and Group Leader
heiko.harten (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
Broadly trained at the University of Osnabruck in all disciplines of Biology, I did my PhD in the department of animal physiology, supervised by Helmut Wieczorek, working on a novel family of disaccharide transporters in Drosophila. After receiving the PhD in 2006, I joined the Zoology-Developmental Biology group to work on peptidases and their functional relevance in tissue differentiation and physiology. Establishing my independent research interests allowed me to join our SFB944 with an own project, funded since 2019. Recently, In 2020, I joined the Furuse laboratory in Okazaki, Japan, for a research internship.
Dr. Maik Drechsler, Independant Young Investigator
maik.drechsler (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I studied Biology in Dresden and Osnabruck, where I then received my Master degree. I joined the group of Achim Paululat to work on the cardiac extracellular matrix. For the identification and characterisation of the new ECM protein Lonely heart I received my PhD in 2012. As a PostDoc, I met the laboratory of Isabella Paliacios in Cambridge, UK, to work on actin dynamics in the oocyte. Since 2019 I am back in Osnabruck to establish my own young investigator group to work on the role of the actin nucleator Spire in regulating spatial dynamics of cytoplasmic flow in the oocyte.
Olga Obermeyer
Secretary (Office Opening Hours Mo-Do 9-12)
Room 35/245
Phone: +49 (0) 541 969 2285,
Fax.: +49 (0) 541 969 2587,
Email: zo-buero (et) uni-osnabrueck.de or olga.obermeyer (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
Department Assistent
Dr. Christian Meyer
chrimeyer (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I studied Biology at the University of Osnabruck, receiving my BSc and MSc for my studies on polychaete evolution and ultrastructure. The work was supervised by Günter Purschke. Afterwards I started my PhD project on analysing the differentiation and function of the intracardiac valve cells in Drosophila. The valve cells regulate directional hemolymph flow from posterior to anterior, allowing the distribution of nutrients, signaling peptides etc. to the surrounding tissue and they are important for correct systolic and diastolic heart function. My research focusses on the identification of genes that affect valve cell specification, differentiation and function. The project is funded by the DFG. I finished my PhD in February 2023. Read more ...
Post Doc at the lab
Annika Buhr, PhD student
abuhr (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I studied Biology at the University of Osnabruck. After finishing my Bachelor thesis in the Plant Physiology department, I joined Heiko Harten as a supervisor for my Master thesis in the Zoology-Developmental Biology group. Since 2018 I am working towards my PhD, focussing on the role of small peptides regulating the calcium transporter SERCA. The project is funded by the SFB944-DFG. Read more ...
Maren Janz, PhD student
mjanz (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I received my BSc in Biology at the University of Potsdam, working on transcription factors in yeast. Afterwards I continued my education at the University of Osnabruck where I became fascinated by working with Drosophila as a model system. I gained my MSc with a thesis on cardioactive peptides in Drosophila. Since 2019, I am a PhD student in the group. My research is focussed on proteins of the endolysosomal pathway and their role in nephrocyte physiology, a project performed in collaboration with the biochemistry section of our institute. The project is funded by the DFG. Read more ...
Jonas Olbrich, PhD student
jonas.olbrich (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I studied biology at the Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg where I received my bachelor and master degree. During my bachelor‘s thesis I used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to research the ultrastructure of mice hippocampi. In the time of my master‘s thesis I studied by using super resolution microscopy (e.g. dSTORM) and expansion microscopy (ExM) the structure of the SNARE-complex in primary mice neurons. My PhD Project is funded by the DFG. There I study the myoblast fusion in the absence of fzr, an APC/C adaptor protein, during the development of Drosophila melanogaster. I will focus my work on using state of the art microscopy techniques like TEM with high pressure frozen and freeze substituted (HPF/FS) samples and live cell imaging techniques like confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM) and lattice light sheet microscopy (LLSM). The project is funded by the DFG. Read more ...
PhD students at the lab
Franziska Flottmann, PhD student
franziska.flottmann (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I studied Biochemistry at the University of Bielefeld, where I mostly focussed on protein purification and CRISPR-Cas experiments. I joind the Zoology-Developmental Biology group in Osnabruck after finishing my Master´s thesis on cardiomyopathy associated DES mutations at the "Erich and Hanna Klessmann" institute in Bad Oeynhausen. In Osnabruck I am working towards my PhD since 2023 on understanding endocytosis in the labyrinth channel system of Drosophila melanogaster nephrocytes, a model for studying human kidney function. the project is funded by the DFG (SFB 1557). Read more ...
Kai J. Jurgens, PhD student
kjuergens (et) uos.de
I studied Biology and English at the University of Osnabruck, where I got my B.Sc and M.Ed. After finishing my master's thesis in the Paululat Lab, I started my PhD project in cooperation with the "Erich and Hanna Klessmann Institute" in Bad Oeynhausen. In collaboration with the Bad Oeynhausen group of Prof. Hendrik Milting, the project aims at providing a deeper understanding of the point mutation in the human protein TMEM43, which leads to severe cardiomyopathies. These can, in part, be replicated in the Drosophila homolog CG8111. My aim is to understand the mechanisms of the mutation in the fly to benefit the research of the human disease. The project is funded by the DFG. Read more ...
Martina Biedermann, Technician, CTA
martina.biedermann (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
Together with Mechthild Krabusch, I am responsible for our fly facility. I take care of our fly stocks, e.g., I am preparing the good food for our flies. Healthy flies are essential for the research in our group. The current fly facility houses more than 3000 different Drosophila stocks. I am also responsible for running our lab kitchen with the autoclave, washers and labware dishwashers.
Eva Cordes, Technician, Dipl. Biol, MTA
eva.cordes (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
I am working together with Heiko Harten in supporting the SERCA and Neprilysin research projects. If someone in the lab is in need to order antibodies, chemicals or other labware, ask me, I am responsible for contacting companies and ordering.
Kerstin Etzold, Technician, BTA
kerstin.etzold (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
My expertise is histology and transmission electron microscopy. I like to work with the Zeiss 902 and Zeiss Leo microscopes. I am supporting several research projects in the lab by preparing tissue for embedding. Probes were sectioned with an Ultracut, for example, and analysed ultrastructurally with one of the electron microscopes.
Mechthild Krabusch, Technician, BTA
mechthild.krabusch (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
Together with Martina Biedermann I am heading our fly facility. To keep the flies healthy is often not easy: day/night rhythm, good food, humidity, protection against parasites - all this has to be taken into account. I am also responsible for ordering new fly stock and to keep them in quarantine. I am always happy when our new bachelor and master students ask for some help when working with flies.
Katrin Faenger, Technician, BTA
katrin.faenger (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
My portfolio includes the common molecular biological methods, e.g. PCR, cloning, plasmid purification and biochemical techniques, such as protein purifications, enzyme assay. I previously worked in the Genetics Department where I gained a lot of experience in yeast genetics. Now I supported my new department in lab work. Also, im helping to prepare the student courses.
Animal Care and Lab Kitchen
2021: Lars Witte, MA
lars.witte@uni-osnabrueck.de
I was working on the dynamics of extracellular matrix assembly in the fly embryo.
2021: Carina Harnisch, MA
carina.harnisch@uni-osnabrueck.de
I have isolated single cells (nephrocytes) from Drosophila larvae. The cells have been used for a genome wide transcriptome analysis. The project is part of a collaboration with Prof. Thomas Röder (Kiel).
2022: Eike Fehrenbach, MA
efehrenbach@uni-osnabrueck.de
I have studied Drosophila mutants in the scanning electron microscope.
2022: Kai Jürgens, MA
kjuergens@uni-osnabrueck.de
Topic: I worked on an atlas of Drosophila anatomy, based on scanning electron microscopy images.
2022: Anita Ruf, BA
aruf@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Bachelor thesis was on Drosophila nephrocytes and membrane trafficking pathways.
2022: Carla Oevermann, BA
caoevermann@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Bachelor thesis was on Drosophila nephrocytes and adipocytes. I isolated individual nephrocytes and fat cell tissue for proteomic and lipidomic analyses.
2021: Luisa Vehling, BA
lvehling@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Bachelor thesis was on transmission electron microscopy to analyse myoblast fuion. I am working together with Jonas Olbrich, doctoral candidate in the Zoology department.
2022: Marvin Kruse, BA
marvkruse@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Bachelor thesis was on protein purification of proteins from membrane trafficking pathways.
2021: Kim M. Simes, BA
ksimes@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Bachelor thesis was on proteome analysis in wild-type and mutant nephrocytes in Drosophila. I am working together with Maren Janz, doctoral candidate in the Zoology department.
Master 21/22/23/24
Bachelor 21/22/23/24
2022: Lisa Schäper, BA
lschaeper@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Bachelor thesis was on the ultrastructure of invertebrates eyes.
2021: David Book, MA
david.book@uni-osnabrueck.de
I was using a transgenic P-element Drosophila line for a jump-out mutagenesis. Aim was to characterise the function of the corresponding gene.
2022: Franziska Chowanietz, BA
fchowanietz@uni-osnabrueck.de
I analyzed the occurrence and population trends of the European crayfish
2020: Miriam Fichte, MA
miriam.fichte@uni-osnabrueck.de
I was involved in pull down experiments to identify unknown factors interacting with a SR/ER protein.
2023: Antonia Mentrup, BA
amentrup@uni-osnabrueck.de
I have studied Drosophila SERCA mutants, together with Heiko Harten.
2023: Kim Michelle Simes, MA
ksimes@uni-osnabrueck.de
The aim of my master thesis is to study systematically the function of Rab-GAP proteins in nephrocytes and other cells. In particular, I focus on Rab5-GAPs.
2023: Hanna Meyer, BA
hanmeyer@uni-osnabrueck.de
Hanna worked with Jonas Olbrich (PhD student in the lab) on cell-cell fusion of myoblasts
2021: Kathrin Janke, BA
kjanke@uni-osnabrueck.de
I worked on fly feeding assays to characterize a new heart mutant. I worked together with Nora Klinke, doctoral candidate in the Zoology department.
2023: Maike Spielmeyer. BA
spielmeyer@uni-osnabrueck.de
I have examined cardiac valve cells in the Drosophila heart by using Laser-Scanning microsopy and other imaging techniques.
2023: Maja Ludwig, MA
majludwig@uni-osnabrueck.de
In my master thesis, I am purifying TMEM43, an ER membrane protein. The ultimate goal is to elucidate the structure of this protein using Cryo-EM in collaboration with the AG Möller.
2023/24: Luisa Vehling, MA
lvehlilng@uni-osnabrueck.de
The aim of my master thesis is the isolation of lysosomes from nephrocytes. We would like to analyze the protein and lipid composition of the lysosomes in collaboration with the AG Fröhlich.
2023/24: Antonia Märkl, BA
amaerkl@uni-osnabrueck.de
In my bachelor theses, I am focusing on the preparation of Azan-stained section series of basal chordates.
2024: Karina Rosin, MA
krosin@uni-osnabrueck.de
I will isolate myoblasts from Drosophila embryos using FACS sorting. The cells will be subsequently processed to be ready for proteome studies.
Master- and Bachelorstudents
Research Assistent in the Lab
Research Assistent - Junior Group
2024: Marvin Kruse, MA
marvkruse@uni-osnabrueck.de
My master's thesis focuses on the purification of membrane proteins, which will then be used for a cryo-EM structure analysis.
2023/24: Philipp Küthe, MA
pkuethe@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am studying Drosophila mutants in the scanning electron microscope.
2024: Lisa Schäper, MA
lschaeper@uni-osnabrueck.de
My Master's thesis deals with the ultrastructure of cardiomyocytes.
2024: Lena Menzel, MA
lenmenzel@uni-osnabrueck.de
In my master's thesis, I am investigating the role of TMEM43 in the context of ER-mitochondrial contact sites.
2024: Robin Kohlmeyer, MA
rkohlmeyer@uni-osnabrueck.de
I will deal with endosomal maturation processes in flies.
2024: Anita Ruf, MA
aruf@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am investigating actin dynamics in Drosophila oocytes.
2024: Roman Kröger, MA
rkroeger@uni-osnabrueck.de
In my master's thesis, I am investigating the role of protein domains in the Bulli protein.
2024: Lara Deters, MA
ladeters (et) uni-osnabrueck.de
In my master's thesis, I am investigating the biology of Priapulida (project together with Prof. Georg Mayer, Uni Kassel)
2024: Tomke Ramke, BA
tramke@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am preparing histological sections of the crayfish.
2024: Nele Klemme-Bruns, BA
nklemmebruns@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am working with shore crabs.
2024: Evelin Fuchs, BA
evfuchs@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am investigating endosomal maturation in adipocytes.
2024: Lena Holzknecht, BA
lholzknecht@uni-osnabrueck.de
My bachelor thesis deals with horseshoe crabs
2024: Liv Daumann, BA
ldaumann@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am working on Neprilysins in Drosophila
2024: Max Fischer, BA
fischerm@uni-osnabrueck.de
My bachelor thesis deals with invasive species. The project is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Brückmann, Institut Dr. Nowak, Ottersberg
2024: Carla Oevermann, MA
caoevermann@uni-osnabrueck.de
Joined us in August 24.
My topic: I am investigating the subcellular localization of TMEM43 using CRISPR-generated mScarlet knock-in Drosophila lines.
2024: Elisa Frommhold, MA
efrommhold@uni-osnabrueck.de
Joined us in August 24. Elisa works on the endosomal maturation pathway in Drosophila cells
2025: Marius Ullrich, BA
mullrich@uni-osnabrueck.de
Joining us in January 25
2024: Maximilian Deters, BA, LA
maxdeters@uni-osnabrueck.de
I am preparing histological sections of animals collected during the Roscoff-excursion.