Introduction of Prof. Dr. Sabrina Büttner

We are pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Sabrina Büttner as the new Professor of Cell Biology at the Institute of Integrative Cell Biology and Physiology. Since October 2024, she has been enrichting the Department of Biology with her research on molecular mechanisms of cell aging and intracellular communication.

After studying biochemistry at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Sabrina received her doctorate at the University of Graz with studies on genetically programmed cell death under Prof. Frank Madeo. After several years as a group leader at the University of Graz, she accepted a position at the University of Stockholm in Sweden in 2015, where she taught and researched as a professor of molecular cell biology before deciding to move to the University of Münster.

Her research focused on the complex networking of organelles in eukaryotic cells, in particular their direct communication via so-called membrane contact points. These physical interfaces enable the exchange of metabolites, lipids, and ions and make an essential contribution to cellular homeostasis. Prof. Büttner's work investigates how these processes change as cells age and how disruptions in organelle communication contribute to the age-dependent loss of various cellular functions. A broad range of methods from molecular and cell biology, genetics, biochemistry and imaging enable her to gain new insights into intracellular communicartion and organelle function during cell aging, stress and adaptation. For her research, Prof. Büttner uses two established model systems in genetics: yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a single-cell eukaryote allows the detailed investigation of basic cellular and molecular processes in a simplified context, while the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a multicellular organism provides insights into consequences for tissue and organ function.

We are pleased that Prof. Büttner is supporting the Department of Biology with her outstanding scientific work and her many years of international teaching experience.