Nikolaj Düring Drachmann: Calcium control in a heartbeat
PhD defence, Friday 23 January 2015. Nikolaj Düring Drachmann.
During his PhD studies, Nikolaj Düring Drachmann has determined structures of Ca2+-ATPases also known as calcium pumps, which are vital membrane proteins involved in muscle and heart function. These pumps determine for example heart contractility and are regulated by another protein called phospholamban that responds to e.g. adrenaline signaling. Nikolaj has provided new information on how calcium pumps interact with lipids in the membrane, and also determined the first structures of the heart-specific isoform of the calcium pump. He also contributed to pioneering studies with ultra intensive X-ray pulses using a so-called X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator in California, where nanocrystals of the calcium pump were investigated.
These findings further our understanding of the complex regulation of the calcium pump, and enable future drug development targeting for example cardiovascular diseases.
The PhD degree was completed at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science and Technology, Aarhus University.
This resume is prepared by the PhD student.
Time: Friday 23 January 2015 at 13.15
Place: Building 1593, room 012, iNANO Auditorium, iNANO, Aarhus University
Title of dissertation: Structural Studies of Ca2+-ATPase ligand and regulatory complexes
Contact information: Nikolaj Düring Drachmann, email: ndd06@mbg.au.dk, tel.: +45 25122505
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Malcolm East, Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, UK.
Associate professor Leila Lo Leggio, Institute of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Associate professor Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University.
Main supervisor:
Professor Poul Nissen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor:
Dr. Maike Bublitz, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English.
The defence is public.
The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, room 112, 8000 Aarhus C.