Franziska Völlmy - Research

The LindingLab currently operates multiple state-of-the-art LC-MS/MS systems providing us with the means to probe comprehensive sample space and generate datasets amenable to systems-level modeling. 

Aberrant signaling in the cancer cell is largely mediated through deregulated kinases and a change in phosphorylation states of many cellular proteins. Our various projects thus require mass spectrometry to acquire proteomic and phosphoproteomic data, and an ongoing interest is therefore to maintain an optimized workflow with regards to sample preparation as well as instrument operation.

Since the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome, a number of translocations events have been identified in patient suffering from cancer. Studies have been able to mimic translocation events in vitro and demonstrate the expression of such chromosomal aberrations, however little is known regarding the signaling induced by these changes. I am interested in contributing to the understanding of the impact of chromosomal translocations at the protein-level, and a long term aim is the identification of novel potential therapeutic targets for cancer patients presenting such chromosomal abnormalities.

Greuber et al., Nat Rev Cancer. 2013 Aug; 13(8): 559–571

Receptor-tyrosine kinases have been shown to be key regulators of a number of essential cellular processes such as proliferation, cell cycle control and cellular migration. One of my interests is to use mass spectrometry to discover novel mechanisms of tyrosine signaling within and between cells.

Casaletto et al., Nature Reviews Cancer 12, 387-400 (June 2012)