Klaus Aktories International Pasteurellaceae Conference 2014

Klaus Aktories

Klaus Aktories studied Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Frankfurt, where he received the degree Dr. med. (1977). He was Research Associate in Pharmacology at the University of Heidelberg from 1978-1984, received 1981 the degree Dr. rer. nat. (Ph.D.) and 1983 the habilitation for Pharmacology and Toxicology. He was Associate Professor in Pharmacology at the University of Gießen (1985-1989) and Essen (1989-1991). From 1991-1994 he was Full Professor in Pharmacology at the University of the Saarland. Since 1995 he is Full Professor and Chair (Department 1) in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He is member of the German National Academy of Sciences - Leopoldina (2003), fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2008) and Member of EMBO (2008). His research interest is focused on cell signaling and its manipulation by bacterial protein toxins. His laboratory studies the interaction of toxins with target cells and the host receptors involved in toxin up-take and intracellular traffic. His group discovered the molecular mechanism of numerous bacterial toxins acting by ADP-ribosylation, glycosylation and deamidation of eukaryotic target proteins. Scientific aims are elucidation of the mode of actions of bacterial protein toxins as a prerequisite for development of anti-infection strategies and to use highly specific and potent toxins as pharmacological tools in cell biology and therapy.