Kopka lab

Kopka lab

Metabolomics and metabolic flux analyses

The laboratory of Dr. Joachim Kopka contributes metabolomics and metabolic flux analyses to the SCyCode research search group. Transitions between heterotrophic and autotrophic metabolism are characterized with broadened coverage by non-targeted and metabolite targeted quantitative metabolome analyses in cooperation with the laboratory of Prof. M. Hagemann. Dr. Kopka´s laboratory established photosynthetic ¹³CO₂ labelling in photo-bioreactors under highly controlled environmental conditions. These tools are applied to investigate light/ dark induced changes of metabolism and the involvement of Synechocystis clock elements in cooperation with Prof. A. Wilde. Nitrogen starvation and carbon signals - as triggers of metabolic heterotrophy/ autotrophy switches - are studied in cooperation with Prof. K. Forchhammer and Prof. M. Hagemann. Metabolic research on the carbon flux between triose phosphates and 3-phosphoglycerate is ongoing and involves additional interactions with Prof. B. Siebers for enzymology aspects and Prof. K. Gutekunst for physiology studies.

Future research will explore RubisCO and PEPC reactions by photosynthetic labelling. Moreover, Dr. Kopka will join forces with Prof. W. Hess and Prof. B. Maček to establish a central PROMIS4Cyanos resource for the discovery and characterization of protein-protein and protein-metabolite complexes that are relevant for heterotrophy/ autotrophy switches.    

Dr. Joachim Kopka is group leader at the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPIMP). He co-initiated metabolite profiling technologies for plant metabolomics at the MPIMP and established the Golm-Metabolome-Database (http://gmd.mpimp-golm.mpg.de). His expertise are bio-analytical applications with interests in stress physiology and biotechnology of plants and photosynthetic microorganisms (http://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=6701461922).

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