Prof. Lothar Brecker
Lothar Brecker, born in 1967, is a research group leader for Organic Structural Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry in the University of Vienna (Austria). He performs research and teaching activities as an Univ.-Prof. and serves currently as Vice Dean for teaching affairs of the Faculty of Chemistry as well as Deputy Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry.
His research group is using spectroscopic and wet chemical techniques as well as synthetic approaches to study molecular structures, dynamic and interactions on an atomic level. Fields of main foci are host-guest interactions of small organic molecules, as well binding of organic ligands to various proteins, in particular to enzymes. For this purpose, several NMR spectroscopic techniques are applied as key analytical methods. Results from such measurements are combined with data from various further spectroscopic, spectrometric and analytical methods to allow an entire view on the molecular behavior. The examined host-guest interactions, especially of natural products, are important molecular features with respect to study biological functions as well as to use these compounds as lead structures in pharmaceutical sciences and crop science. The non-covalent interactions of ligands with enzymes are a prerequisite for biocatalyzed transformations. Results from these investigations are hence used to optimize enzyme catalyzed reactions of non-natural products. All this work is carried out in cooperation with various other research groups from Austria as well as internationally. The combination of different fields of expertise and scientific perspectives leads to interdisciplinary research results and developments.
Lothar is also active in the internal faculty governance. The main focus of his current activities is on the development of teaching programs for students at all levels of chemistry education. He was also active as head of the NMR spectroscopy working group in the GÖCH from 2011 to 2019.
Prof. Brecker started his academic education in chemistry studies at the University of Dortmund in 1988 and continued at the same place with more synthetically oriented diploma thesis and dissertation until 1996. Already at that time, structural analytical questions were in the focus of his interest. Subsequently, he held postdoctoral positions at the Graz University of Technology (until 2000) and at the Research Center Borstel (until 2002). There he worked on molecular questions concerning biocatalysis and biomedical topics, respectively, intensively using spectroscopic methods. Since 2002, he has been at the University of Vienna, where he has established his own research group and has gone through several career stages to his current position. Since 2011, he has also held various positions in the academic self-administration of the faculty. Lothar has more than 130 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals and gave more than 50 talks at research institutions and on scientific conferences.