Margitta Dathe 11th Australian Peptide Conference 2015

Margitta Dathe

Research Interests and Scientific Focus Antimicrobial, membrane–permeabilising, membrane-targeting and cellular uptake-promoting peptides (structural requirements, attachment of molecular cargos, mode of action); spectroscopic, microscopic methods. Head of the Group Peptide Lipid Interaction/Peptide Transport of the Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology, Berlin, Germany. Our group is interested in the selective interaction of peptides with cellular membranes and their ability to penetrate or permeabilise them. We exploit these properties in the development of peptides as targeting and uptake-mediating tools for drugs and lipid-based drug carriers. Currently, our activities focus on the development of lipid-based carrier systems targeting the blood-brain barrier and deliver bioactive compounds into the skin. Furthermore, we derived general rules for the structural optimisation of linear, potentially helical antimicrobial peptides. Currently we are attempting to elucidate the mode of action of small cyclic membrane active antimicrobial peptides and to optimize their activity for selected applications. The methods we mainly use to tackle the research projects are fluorescence-based approaches on cellular level (CLSM, FACS) and a large number biophysical methods as well as toxicity studies with mammalian cells and bacterial strains. The research results have been published in more than 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Professional Background since 1999 Head, Peptide Lipid Interaction /Peptide Transport Group, FMP 1992 – 1999 Team Leader of the Conformational Analysis Group at the FMP 1974 – 1992 Research Associate at the Institute of Drug Research, Academy of Sciences of the GDR 1970-1974 Studies of physics, Humboldt University Berlin