Nenad Ban

Nenad Ban is a Professor at ETH Zurich leading the Ban Lab, which investigates ribosome structure and functional complexes through biochemistry, X-ray crystallography, and electron microscopy. The lab focuses on protein synthesis mechanisms across prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and mitochondrial systems, alongside large cellular assemblies like fatty acid synthases.

Research spans four core domains:

• Prokaryotic Protein Synthesis: Structural analysis of ribosomal subunits with translation factors
• Eukaryotic Ribosome: Interactions with eukaryotic-specific regulatory factors controlling translation
• Mitochondrial Ribosome: Evolutionary structural adaptations and functional mechanisms
• Large Assemblies: Fatty acid synthases as paradigms for complex multi-enzyme systems

Techniques include cutting-edge cryo-EM and crystallography to resolve molecular mechanisms at atomic resolution.

Recent publications (2021-2023) reveal critical insights into viral translation interference (SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting/Nsp1 shutdown), mitochondrial translation termination, ER protein biogenesis, and ribosome assembly. These studies demonstrate the lab's expertise in linking structural data to functional consequences across diverse biological contexts.

Professor Ban mentors PhD students Maša Predin (joined September 2023) and Dominik Schuntermann (joined April 2023). The lab welcomed EMBO Fellow Elena Lavdovskaia as a PostDoc in July 2024, reflecting strong trainee development and competitive grant acquisition.

Based at ETH Zurich's Hönggerberg campus, the Ban Lab maintains an active research environment with ongoing projects on co-translational targeting, mitochondrial ribosome maturation, and viral translation mechanisms. The group utilizes 3D animation and conference presentations to disseminate findings and recruits through open positions for PhD and postdoctoral roles.