Thomas Friedrich

Professor Thomas Friedrich is a distinguished faculty member at the Technical University of Berlin, where he leads the Department of Physical Chemistry/Bioenergetics within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. His research group focuses on energy conversion processes in biological systems, with particular emphasis on photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and electrophysiological studies of ion channels and transporters.

Professor Friedrich's research spans two primary domains: bioenergetics of photosynthetic systems and membrane transport mechanisms. In photosynthesis research, his group investigates excitation energy transfer processes between light-harvesting antenna proteins and reaction centers, with special focus on the orange carotenoid protein and other carotenoid-binding proteins from cyanobacteria. For membrane transport studies, his work examines voltage-gated ion channels (Kv channels), voltage-gated membrane-enzymes (PIP₃-phosphatase Ci-VSP), and ATP-driven ion pumps (Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, H⁺/K⁺-ATPase).

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on cyanobacterial photoprotection mechanisms, particularly involving orange carotenoid proteins (OCP), with numerous studies examining OCP structure, function, and interaction with fluorescence recovery protein (FRP). His work combines biochemical protein production with advanced spectroscopic techniques including UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy using specialized laser detector systems for time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC).

Professor Friedrich's laboratory utilizes a range of sophisticated techniques, including two-electrode voltage-clamp (TEVC) experiments, voltage-clamp fluorimetry (VCF), and time-resolved spectroscopy. His group produces proteins with native carotenoid cofactors in Escherichia coli bacteria and performs functional studies to understand energy transfer processes at the molecular level. The department has specialized equipment for fluorescence lifetime measurements with picosecond accuracy, enabling detailed characterization of biological fluorophores.