Christian Hackenberger

Christian Hackenberger is a Leibniz-Humboldt Professor of Chemical Biology at Humboldt University and Head of the Chemical Biology II Department at the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP). His research centers on synthetic methodology development for natural protein modifications, with applications in biomedicine and drug delivery systems like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

• Education:
  • University of Freiburg
  • RWTH Aachen
  • University of Wisconsin/Madison (USA)

The Hackenberger Group focuses on creating chemoselective bioconjugation reactions to study functional consequences of protein modifications and develop pharmaceutical applications. Their work spans organic synthesis, biochemistry, and biophysics, with a particular emphasis on Staudinger-phosphite/phosphonite reactions and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs).

Recent publications highlight advancements in ethynyl-phosphonamidate peptides for protein delivery, fluorogenic glycan labeling for cell surface imaging, and hydrophilic electrophiles for ADCs. Collaborative efforts with Tubulis GmbH, a company he founded, focus on cancer therapeutics.

Scientific Awards:

• Max Bergmann Medal 2024

Hackenberger actively mentors 13 PhD students and PostDocs, with projects covering topics from tau protein nanobodies to asymmetric organocatalysis. Grants include funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), BMBF, and the European Union's Horizon MSCA program.