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joined the institute. All three young scientists were given the chance to work as post docs in renown laboratories in Switzerland and the USA: G. DAUM with the groups of G. Schatz (Basel, Switzerland) and R. Schekman (Berkeley, USA), A. HERMETTER with J. R. Lakowicz (Baltimore, USA) and S. D. KOHLWEIN with S. A. Henry (New York, USA). Consequently, independent research groups specialized in cell biology (G. D.), biophysics (A. H.) and molecular biology (S. D. K.) evolved at the institute in Graz, with the group of Prof. F. PALTAUF still focusing on the chemistry and biochemistry of lipids. Teaching was always a major task of the institute. Lectures, seminars and laboratory courses in basic biochemistry were complemented by special lectures, seminars, and courses held by the assistants who became docents in 1985 (G. D.), 1987 (A. H.), and 1992 (S. D. K.). Lectures in food chemistry and technology were held by C. WEBER and H. SALOMON. Hence the institute was renamed Institute of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry. 1990 The institute moved to a new building at Petersgasse 12. The move was accompanied by the expansion of individual research groups and the acquisition of new equipment essential for the participation in novel collaborative efforts at the national and international level. Thus, the Institute of Biochemistry, together with partner institutes from the Karl-Franzens University was the driving force to establish Graz as a centre of competence in lipid research. 1993 W. PFANNHAUSER was appointed as professor of food chemistry. Through his own enthusiasm and engagement and that of his collaborators, this new section of the institute rapidly developed and offered students additional opportunities to receive a timely education. 2000 The two sections, biochemistry and food chemistry, being independent of each other with respect to personnel, teaching, and research, were separated into the Institute of Biochemistry (Head Prof. PALTAUF) and the new Institute of Food Chemistry and Technology (Head Prof. PFANNHAUSER). 2001 After F. PALTAUF’s retirement, in September 2001, G. DAUM was elected head of the institute. S. D. KOHLWEIN was appointed full professor of biochemistry at the Karl-Franzens University Graz. 2003 P. MACHEROUX was appointed full professor of biochemistry in September 2003 and head of the Institute of Biochemistry in January 2004. His research interests revolve around topics in protein biochemistry and enzymology and shall strengthen the already existing activities in this area. 2007 K. ATHENSTAEDT, a long-time associate of Prof. DAUM, received the venia legendi for biochemistry. Dr. Athenstaedt was the first woman to complete the traditional habilitation at the Institute of Biochemistry. 2009 After the retirement of Prof. PFANNHAUSER in 2008, the Institute of Food Chemistry and Technology was disbanded and the research group of Prof. M. MURKOVIC joined the Institute of Biochemistry increasing the number of independent research groups to five. 4
Highlights of 2010 In 2010, Peter Macheroux took a break from his teaching duties and spent most of the year from mid-February until the end of July on sabbatical leave in the Dept. of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at Cornell University (hosted by Prof. Steve Ealick). This was a truly unique experience not just because of the opportunity to acquire insight into new scientific methods but also in terms of getting to know new colleagues and customs, such as commencement day where students obtain their academic degree during a traditional celebration. In spring 2010 the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) approved a new research project to investigate the interaction of quinone reductase with the proteasome that controls the localization of some transcription factors (Project P22361: “Mechanism of redox controlled protein degradation”). Finally, Dr. Andreas Winkler, a former PhD student of the PhD program “Molecular Enzymology” and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Medicine in Heidelberg received the dissertation award 2010 of the Austrian Society for Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology (ÖGMBT) for the thesis he has completed in our institute the year before. Impressions from the sabbatical of P. Macheroux Commencement day at Cornell in May 2010 Karlheinz Grillitsch was the 100 th student to receive his PhD at the Institute of Biochemistry. Opponents were K. Lohner (left) and G. Daum (right of the candidate); chairman A. Hermetter (right). In the group of Günther Daum, three new projects were started in 2010. Whereas the FWF project P23029 is devoted to the fundamental investigation of yeast lipases, the Translational Research Project TRP009 addresses applied aspects of Pichia lipidomics. Finally, the lab of Günther Daum is involved in investigations of protein expression in the framework of the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB). A highlight in graduate student education was the completion of the Doctoral Thesis of Karlheinz Grillitsch because this was the 100 th PhD degree received at the Institute of Biochemistry, TU Graz. In 2010, Günther Daum started his three year term as President of the International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids (ICBL). In May 2010, he was Organizer and Chairman of the FEBS Workshop Microbial Lipids: From Genomics to Lipidomics, in Vienna, Austria. This was the first conference of this type, but due to its success with more than 100 participants the next meeting has already be planned for 2012 in Bern, Switzerland. 5
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