Microbiota-Associated Natural Products
Natural products are produced by all living organisms and are a prime source for new drug leads. Our group focuses on natural products produced by bacteria found in the human microbiota to harness the host protective properties of these compounds for medical purposes. This group is located at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS).
Leader
Dr Julian Hegemann
"The human microbiota contains a plethora of microorganisms. These comprise both beneficial bacteria as well as pathogens, which in part are even in direct competition with each other. Our goal is to identify the arsenal used in their competition and utilize it for medical applications."
Julian Hegemann studied chemistry at the Philipps-Universität in Marburg. In Marburg, he carried out the research for his diploma and PhD theses in the lab of Prof. Mohamed Marahiel and graduated in 2014. After a short postdoc phase to finish ongoing projects, Julian Hegemann joined the group of Prof. Wilfred van der Donk at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016 and stayed there until 2019. Afterwards, he came back to Germany and became a postdoc at the TU Berlin in the lab of Prof. Roderich Süssmuth. In 2021, Julian Hegemann joined the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS).
Julian Hegemanns research focuses on members of the natural product superfamily of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). He is interested in studying the underlying biosynthetic principles of these natural products, their roles in nature, their possible application as therapeutics, and their potential as bioengineering scaffolds.
Further Information
A current overview of the team and further information about the research group can be found on the HIPS page.