Team

Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Viral Infection

Prof. Dr. Petr Chlanda

Group leader

Petr Chlanda studied Biochemistry at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. He earned his PhD at Heidelberg University, focusing on the assembly of poxviruses using electron microscopy (EM) methods. During his postdoctoral research at EMBL Heidelberg and the NIH in Bethesda, he investigated the structural mechanisms of influenza A virus membrane fusion and assembly. In 2017, he became a Chica and Heinz Schaller group leader at the Department of Infectious Diseases – Virology at Heidelberg University and BioQuant. Since 2025, he has held the position of W3-Heisenberg Professor for Cryo-EM of Viral Infection at the Department of Infectious Diseases-Virology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University. He is a founding member of the Heidelberg University Cryo-EM Network (HDcryoNet).

Team photo, BioQuant, May 2025.

Our team

Name	Position Sort descending	Email	Telephone	Room
Prof. Dr. Petr Chlanda	Group Leader	petr.chlanda@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de	51231	542
Dr. Jana Makroczyová	Lab Manager	jana.makroczyova@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de	51230	502
Dr. Liv Zimmermann	Research Associate	liv.zimmermann@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de	51251	541
Dr. Moritz Wachsmuth-Melm	Research Associate	moritz.wachsmuth@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de		502a
Dr. Tim Krischuns	Research Associate	tim.krischuns@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de	51230	503
Varvara Plotnikova	PhD Student	varvara.plotnikova@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de	51230	541
Raffael Balkeny	PhD Student	raffael.balkeny@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de		502
Sarah Peterl	PhD Student	sarah.peterl@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de		503
Konstantin Fischer	PhD Student	konstantin.fischer@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de	51230	503a
Alexandra Reimers	Master's Student		51230	503a
Roberta Malamud	Student	roberta.malamud@stud.uni-heidelberg.de		541

Alumni

Jasmin Alara Weihs (10/2023 - 03/2024) | Master thesis (jointly with Dao Thi research group)

High resolution structural investigations of hepatitis E virus capsids using electron microscopy

Xenia Podlipenski (08/2023 - 11/2023) | Bachelor thesis

Investigating the effect of small molecule inhibitors on the entry of spherical and filamentous influenza A viruses

Elisa Wegerich (06/2023 - 08/2023) | Bachelor thesis

Unveiling the role of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins in particle assembly and release

Dr. Sophie Winter (05/2018 - 11/2022) | PhD student (currently a science journalist)

Structural characterization of Ebola virus uncoating

Dr. Steffen Klein (04/2018 - 09/2022) | PhD student (currently post-doc at Mahamid lab, EMBL Heidelberg)

Carmen Lahr (08/2021 - 02/2022) | Master student (currently PhD candidate at Univeristy of Luxembourg)

Characterization of plaque growth dynamics of spherical and filamentous influenza A viruses

Xiaohan Zhao (10/2021 - 06/2022) | Master student (currently PhD candidate at Müller lab, EMBL Heidelberg)

Structural characterization of SARS-CoV-2 molecular pores spanning double-membrane vesicles

Keerthihan Thiyagarajah (11/2020 - 06/2021) | Master student (currently PhD candidate at Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen)

Characterization of the role of Ebola virus GP palmitoylation on virus assembly and viral entry

Lisa Augenstein (03/2021 - 10/2021) | Master student (currently ScO ATEM structural analysis)

Ebola virus nucleocapsid condensation and incorporation into virus-like particles

Benedikt Wimmer (04/2019 - 02/2020) | Master student (currently PhD candidate at Ohad Medalia lab, Zurich University)

Structural analysis of lamellar bodies in lung cells by cryo-electron tomography

Charlie Schneider | Master student

Effects of influenza A virus morphology on cell-to-cell spread kinetics