Prof. Dr. Wolfram Weckwerth

Group "Integrative Proteomics and Metabolomics"
New position: Professor and Head of the Department for Molecular Systems Biology (MoSys) at the University of Vienna

Plant regulatory responses to genetic or environmental perturbation are not enacted via linear pathways, but by dynamic networks of metabolites, proteins, and genes. To look at these networks, the group developed non-targeted, mass spectrometry-based protein and phosphoprotein profiling technologies. Data were integrated into metabolomic databases and used for network modelling to reveal unexpected regulatory control mechanisms.

Profiling provides snapshots of all the metabolites, proteins, or gene transcripts expressed in an organism or tissue at a given point of time. Through profiling, it is becoming clear that regulatory responses to genetic or environmental peturbations are not enacted via linear pathways, but rather by dynamic networks of metabolites, proteins, and genes.

Since phosphorylation status often controls the structure, function, and interactions of proteins carrying regulatory responses, the group developed and applied non-targeted profiling technologies in Arabidopsis for proteomics (protein profiling) and phosphoproteomics. They integrated these approaches with transcript and metabolite profiling to get a fresh look at network dynamics and to reveal unexpected regulatory control mechanisms at system level.

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