Reinhard Lührmann

Reinhard Lührmann is a Professor and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, leading the Department of Cellular Biochemistry. He holds an honorary professorship at Georg-August University of Göttingen. His research focuses on RNA splicing mechanisms, particularly the spliceosome's structure and function. He earned his PhD from the University of Münster in 1975 and has held roles at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (1981–1988), University of Marburg (1988–1999), and currently directs the MPI department since 1999.

Research Interests: Lührmann’s lab investigates how the spliceosome recognizes intron/exon boundaries in complex metazoan pre-mRNAs, the assembly of catalytically active spliceosomes, and the structural basis of splicing. Techniques include biochemical purification, mass spectrometry, RNA engineering, X-ray crystallography, and cryo-EM to visualize spliceosome components. Work emphasizes mammalian systems but also uses yeast for core mechanisms.

Publications highlight structural insights into spliceosome activation, RES complex roles, and small molecule inhibitors targeting splicing. Collaborations with structural biologists (e.g., Stark, Kastner) and functional studies on catalytic steps underscore his interdisciplinary approach.

Labs/Teams: His group is part of the Max Planck Institute’s Molecular Biology and Structural Biology research networks. The lab’s homepage is here.