Katrin Rittinger

Katrin Rittinger is a Principal Group Leader and Assistant Research Director at the Francis Crick Institute in London. She leads a research group focused on understanding protein communication within cells, particularly in the context of immune responses to bacterial and viral infections. Her work has significant implications for understanding and treating immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Previously, she was a Group Leader at the Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research from 2000 until its integration into the Francis Crick Institute in 2015.

• PhD in Chemistry from University of Heidelberg and Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research, Germany (1994)
• Postdoctoral fellow at MPI for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany (1995)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (EMBO Long-term and Marie-Curie Fellow) at Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK (1996)

Katrin Rittinger's research focuses on cell signaling mechanisms, particularly how proteins communicate through post-translational modifications like ubiquitination. Her work investigates multi-protein assemblies that regulate signal transduction pathways, with emphasis on ubiquitin signaling complexes involved in immune responses. She employs biochemical and structural methods to study how pathogens manipulate host signaling and how defects in these pathways lead to diseases including auto-inflammatory conditions and cancer. Her laboratory combines structural biology, proteomics, and chemical biology approaches to dissect these complex molecular mechanisms.

Analysis of Rittinger's recent publications reveals a strong focus on ubiquitin signaling pathways, particularly the role of TRIM family proteins and bacterial effectors in manipulating host cell processes. Her work increasingly incorporates chemical biology approaches, including fragment-based drug discovery and covalent inhibitor development targeting E3 ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes. There's a clear progression from fundamental structural studies toward translational applications, with growing interest in developing chemical probes to modulate ubiquitin pathways for therapeutic purposes.

• EMBO Long-term Fellow
• Marie-Curie Fellow

While specific students aren't listed in the provided information, Rittinger has led her research group since 2000, mentoring numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Her extensive publication record, including over 50 Crick publications, indicates successful grant funding from major research organizations. Her work bridges basic science and therapeutic development, suggesting support from both fundamental research councils and translational funding bodies.

Rittinger's research is conducted within multiple facilities at the Francis Crick Institute, including the Structural Biology, Proteomics, and Chemical Biology platforms. She collaborates extensively with other group leaders, particularly Teresa Thurston (infectious disease), Diego Esposito (structural biology), and David House (chemical biology). Her research group appears to be interdisciplinary, bringing together expertise in structural biology, biochemistry, proteomics, and chemical biology to tackle complex questions in cell signaling.