And just like that, the 32nd NAWI Graz DocDay is a wrap!

A heartfelt thank you to all participants for contributing with inspiring talks, creative posters, and lively scientific discussions – all while braving the summer heat! 

Special thanks to our guest speakers Sander Grannemann and Allon Hochbaum for offering deep insights into their scientific work and careers.

Congratulations to our award winners:

• Adrian Tripp – Best Talk (Jury), sponsored by Bartelt
• Lucija Sovic – Best Talk (Audience), sponsored by Microsynth Austria
• Nikolina Todorovic, Nadine Egger & Johannes Breithofer – Best Posters (Jury), sponsored by ChemBioChem/Wiley

Huge thanks to the organizing team Kirill Kuhlmann, Maximilian Fuchs, and Oliver Eder, as well as to Kristina Schild and Christine Rother for their incredible support. We also gratefully acknowledge Tea Pavkov-Keller and Harald Pichler for their guidance and encouragement throughout.

Let’s keep the science going – see you all at the next DocDay! 

Still active after retirement – and now awarded twice!

Our former colleague Michael Murkovic, who retired in October 2024, continues to share his expertise through lectures and research. In May 2025, he was honored with the "Gold Medal of Honor of the Province of Styria" for his outstanding scientific contributions.
With a background in Technical Chemistry from TU Graz and a specialization in Food Chemistry, Michael has been a pioneer in the study of carcinogenic substances in food since the 1990s, developing innovative approaches to reduce human exposure. His work has led to more than 120 scientific publications and numerous international presentations.

Most recently, at the XXIII EuroFoodChem conference in Bratislava on June 11, 2025, he delivered the prestigious Czedik-Eysenberg Lecture presented to outstanding scientists in the field.

Congratulations, Michael – your impact continues to grow!

Foto: TU Graz/Land Steiermark, Robert Binder

Save the Date: 32nd NAWI Graz DocDay 2025 – June 30th at the University of Graz!

We are excited to invite all interested colleagues, students, and friends of science to this year’s 32nd NAWI Graz DocDay 2025, an annual symposium organized by PhD students of Graz University of Technology and the University of Graz. This includes the doc schools “Molecular Biology and Biochemistry” and “Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology”.

When? June 30, 2025
Where? University of Graz

This year, the event is co-organized by our PhD students Oliver Eder and Maximilian Fuchs from the Institute of Biochemistry.

A special highlight will be the keynote lecture by our guest researcher Prof. Allon Hochbaum (University of California):
“Natural and Synthetic Conductive Proteins: From Rock-Breathing Bacteria to Electrocatalytic Materials”

The symposium will showcase innovative research by PhD students, with talks, a poster session, and contributions from academia and industry.

Don’t miss this opportunity to exchange ideas, build connections, and engage with the community — during presentations, discussions, and the social get-together afterwards!

Everyone interested is warmly welcome to join us!

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!

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

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!
 

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!

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.

Since September 1, 2023, Christoph Schaffer has been part of our team at the Institute of Biochemistry, where he is training to become a laboratory technician. With his dedication, curiosity, and enthusiasm, he is already a valuable addition to our team.

We are especially proud that the latest issue of „ZAK“, the magazin of Arbeitskammer Steiermark, features several apprentices from TU Graz, including „our“ Christoph.

We are excited to support Christoph on his journey and look forward to seeing him grow in his role!

The first excursion of the year took the AG Protein Biochemistry on an unexpected yet legendary journey—straight into the world of Arnold Schwarzenegger.  We swapped our lab coats for leather jackets and made our way to Thal, Austria, the birthplace of the Terminator himself.

You might be wondering—what do biochemists have in common with a Hollywood action star, a bodybuilding legend, and a former governor? More than you’d think! As scientists fascinated by proteins, we couldn’t pass up the chance to learn about one of the most famous applications of muscle biochemistry: bodybuilding. Schwarzenegger’s dedication to sculpting his physique is a testament to the power of discipline, training, and (of course) proteins.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum, housed in his childhood home, is a treasure trove of memorabilia. From his first dumbbells to his governor’s desk, the museum traces his incredible journey from a small Austrian village to global stardom. Standing in the very room where young Arnold dreamed of greatness was nothing short of inspiring.

Some of us tried to mimic his famous poses—some more successfully than others. Others were more captivated by the detailed exhibits on his movie career, political achievements, and, of course, his bodybuilding triumphs.

Hasta la Vista, Thal - Our visit to the Schwarzenegger Museum was the perfect way to kick off the new year. It reminded us that no matter our background—be it science or cinema—passion and perseverance can take us far. Who knows, maybe next time we’ll be back, a little stronger and a lot more inspired.

Until then, we’ll stick to flexing our brain muscles in the lab!