Welcome at the Institute of Biochemistry
The Institute of Biochemistry at the Graz University of Technology focuses on basic research questions in the field of protein biochemistry and is tightly connected to local groups addressing questions in protein structural analyses, protein technologies and biocatalysis. The institutes mission is to understand biological processes at the molecular level using an integrative structure-function analysis approach. Currently, emphasis is put on three major research areas: mechanisms of enzyme function in biosynthetic pathways, computational protein design and allosteric regulation mechanisms in sensor-effector systems.
11.06.2025
Congratulations to our former Master's student Sigrid Kaltenbrunner for receiving the TCVB Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award 2025 at this year’s Science Day of the Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Chemical and Process Engineering, and Biotechnology!
This prestigious award recognizes exceptional academic achievement, scientific independence, creativity, and dedication in producing an outstanding thesis.
We at the Institute of Biochemistry are proud of Sigrid's accomplishment and warmly congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition!
22.05.2025
Gustav Oberdorfer and postdoc Horst Lechner were featured for their work on biohybrid LEDs—an innovative approach to creating sustainable lighting by replacing rare-earth metal phosphors in white LEDs with organic fluorescent dyes embedded in designed proteins.
16.05.2025
Hot off the press: our Annual Report!
Curious about what we've been up to at the Institute of Biochemistry? Our latest Annual Report gives you a peek behind the scenes — from exciting research projects to lab life and everything in between.
Get to know the focus areas of our research groups and see what made last year special for us.
Have a look: ANNUAL REPORT 2024
06.05.2025
Science meets curiosity!
As part of the Children’s University, we welcomed the curious minds of Volksschule Rosenberg to our Institute of Biochemistry. Dressed in real lab coats, the young scientists jumped right into action:
- Build a battery using a lemon?
- Make their own sticky slime?
- Hear the bang of hydrogen explosions?
- Extract color from red cabbage?
Yes, they tried it all – and discovered just how exciting chemistry can be!
To top it off, we showed them that liquid nitrogen isn’t just for science... it also makes delicious ice cream!
We loved having you here and wish you all the best on your educational journey. Who knows – maybe one day we’ll see some of you back here as students!
02.05.2025
Big congratulations to Miriam Huber!
We're excited to celebrate Miriam Huber from the Institute of Biochemistry at TU Graz for passing her Master's exam! Her thesis, "Characterization of metal-dependent protein phosphatase-bacteriophytochrome (PpmP) homologs", is a great achievement — and we're proud to have been part of her journey. Wishing you all the best for what’s next, Miriam!
On the picture you can see Miriam wirh our PhD-Student Oliver Eder.
24.04.2025
Meet our visiting researcher, Sarah Berger!
Born and raised amid the picturesque landscapes of Upper Austria, Sarah completed her PhD at the University of Graz, where she delved into the fascinating world of imine reductases.
Following a brief but enriching tenure in industry at Enzyan, she joined the group of Anna Peacock at the University of Birmingham and is now a guest researcher in Gustav Oberdorfer’s group, working on the development of MRI contrast agents.
She is excited to collaborate with researchers at IBC and contribute to the field of protein design.
Besides her fascination of proteins Sarah loves to swim, embracing her motto: "To reach the source, one must swim against the current."
We’re delighted to have her on board!
17.04.2025
We couldn't resist the trend – so we turned some of our team into action figures!
Warning: extreme levels of coolness, heroic poses, and questionable superpowers ahead.
Which one would you add to your collection?
Happy Easter from all of us at the Institute of Biochemistry!
03.04.2025
Here at the Institute of Biochemistry, we research proteins which are essential building blocks of live. They are not just an important supplement in your diet if you want to gain muscles but they also are important for a myriad of other body functions. For example, they enable you to sense light which lets your brain see this text and process it.
But how do specific proteins exactly work? This question is often answered in yearlong academic studies and countless experiments. However, with AI on the horizon, there are now novel methods available to get these answers faster.
In a recent study in our institute, a machine learning tool was tuned to make proteins "talk" about which parts of them are important for the jobs they do. This tool was used to research a bacterial light sensor, a cousin to the light sensors which are used by plants. The insights of this study might one day help us to understand better how plants, an important pillar of our diet, react to sun light. Read here the pre-print.
We congratulate Oliver Eder and Massimo Gregorio Totaro of the Group of Andreas Winkler and the Group of Gustav Oberdorfer for the successful completion of this highly collaborative project and wish good luck for the (potentially) upcoming revision.
Institute of Biochemistry Petersgasse 12/2, 8010 Graz
Phone: (+43) (0)316 873 6451
E-Mail: office.ibc@tugraz.at
