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Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Viral Infection

Prof. Dr. Petr Chlanda

Team

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.
 
Team photo - 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. Tim Krischuns

Research Associate tim.krischuns@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de 51230 503

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

Konstantin Fischer

PhD Student konstantin.fischer@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de 51230 503a

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

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