Prof. Dr. Kai Johnsson

Kai Johnsson

Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung
Jahnstraße 29
69120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 (6221) 486-400
E-mail: kai.johnsson@mr.mpg.de


Research Area

Chemical Biology


Position and Status

Managing Director, Director of the Dept. Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany

Affiliated Professor,  Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland

 


Scholarships and awards

2021 -  Hansen Family Award in Medical Sciences

2019 - Elected Member of the Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften

2016 - Karl-Heinz-Beckurts-Preis
2015 - AbbVie Lecture, UC Berkeley
2013 - Elected Member of EMBO
2012 - 2013 -  Novartis Lectureship Award
2012 - Leica Scientific Forum Lectureship Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo)
2011 -  Amgen Lecture, UC Berkeley
2003 - Prix APLE for the invention of the year 2003 of EPFL Lausanne



University training and degree

1988 - Diploma in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

 

Advanced academic qualifications

1992 - PhD in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

 

Postgraduate professional career

2017 - Director, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
2009 - Full Professor; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland
2005 - 2009 - Associate Professor; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland
1999 - 2005 - Assistant Professor; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland
1996 - 1999 - Independent researcher; Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
1993 - 1996 - Postdoctoral fellow; Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley, USA

Coordinating functions and editorial work

2014 - Scientific Advisory Board, Quartet Medicines, Boston, USA
2012 - Editorial Advisory Board of Science
2012 - Member of the school-wide tenure committee of EPFL
2010 - Editorial Board of Chemical Society Reviews
2010 - Co-Director of the Swiss-wide research program NCCR Chemical Biology (budget of SFR 4 million per year)
2009 - Member of the steering committee of Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, EPFL
2008 - Editorial Board of ChemBioChem
2006 - Editorial Board of Chemistry&Biology
2005 - Associate Editor of ACS Chemical Biology
2003 - 2010 - Board of Directors, Covalys Biosciences, Switzerland

Most important publications

  1. Xue, L., Schnacke, P., Frei, M. S., Koch, B., Hiblot, J., Wombacher, R., Fabritz, S. & Johnsson, K. Probing coenzyme A homeostasis with semisynthetic biosensors. Nature Chemical Biology 19, 346-355 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-022-01172-7
  2. Kompa, J., Bruins, J., Glogger, M., Wilhelm, J., Frei, M. S., Tarnawski, M., D’Este, E., Heilemann, M., Hiblot, J. & Johnsson, K. Exchangeable HaloTag Ligands for Super- Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society 145, 3075-3083 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c11969
  3. Jang, S., Narayanasamy, K. K., Rahm, J. V., Saguy, A., Kompa, J., Dietz, M. S., Johnsson, K., Shechtman, Y. & Heilemann, M. Neural network-assisted single-molecule localization microscopy with a weak-affinity protein tag. Biophysical Reports 3, 100123 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpr.2023.100123
  4. Hellweg, L., Edenhofer, A., Barck, L., Huppertz, M.-C., Frei, M. S., Tarnawski, M., Bergner, A., Koch, B., Johnsson, K. & Hiblot, J. A general method for the development of multicolor biosensors with large dynamic ranges. Nature Chemical Biology 19, 1147-1157 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-023-01350-1
  5. Güldenpfennig, A., Hopp, A. K., Muskalla, L., Manetsch, P., Raith, F., Hellweg, L., Dördelmann, C., Leslie Pedrioli, D. M., Johnsson, K., Superti-Furga, G. & Hottiger, M. A.-O. Absence of mitochondrial SLC25A51 enhances PARP1-dependent DNA repair by increasing nuclear NAD+ levels (2023). DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad659
  6. Glogger, M., Wang, D., Kompa, J., Balakrishnan, A., Hiblot, J., Barth, H.-D., Johnsson, K. & Heilemann, M. Synergizing Exchangeable Fluorophore Labels for Multitarget STED Microscopy. ACS Nano 16, 17991-17997 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c07212
  7. Frei, M. S., Tarnawski, M., Roberti, M. J., Koch, B., Hiblot, J. & Johnsson, K. Engineered HaloTag variants for fluorescence lifetime multiplexing. Nature Methods 19, 65-70 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01341-x
  8. Frei, M. S., Koch, B., Hiblot, J. & Johnsson, K. Live-Cell Fluorescence Lifetime Multiplexing Using Synthetic Fluorescent Probes. ACS Chemical Biology 17, 1321-1327 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.2c00041

Patents

  1. “Means and methods for bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (bret) analysis in a biological sample” Kai Johnsson, Alberto Schena, Rudolf Griss (2013) PCT/EP2013/065223;

  2. "Cell permeable, fluorescent dye" Kai Johnsson, Grazvydas Lukinavicius, Keitaro Umezawa, (2011) PCT/EP2011/064750; licensed and exploited by Spirochrome.

  3. “Labelling of fusion proteins with synthetic probes” Gautier, Arnaud; Johnsson, Kai; Kindermann, Maik; Juillerat, Alexandre; Beaufils, Florent, PCT Int. Appl. (2008) WO 2008/012296;

  4. “Methods for cell-free protein display” Florian Hollfelder, Viktor Stein, Andrew Griffiths, Kai Johnsson. UK0714698.9 (2007)

  5. “Mutants of human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase with improved properties”; Barnikov, Jan; Chidley, Christopher; Gronemeyer, Thomas; Heinis, Christian; Jaccard, Hughes; Johnsson, Kai; Juillerat, Alexandre; Keppler, Antje. PCT Int. Appl. (2005), WO 2005085431;

  6. “Method for identification of fragmentation sites in a reporter protein in the development of split protein sensors” Johnsson, Kai; Tafelmeyer, Petra. PCT Int. Appl. (2005), WO 2005038050;

  7. “Labeling of fusion proteins by enzymic incorporation of a coenzyme A derivative into an acyl carrier protein moiety”; Johnsson, Kai; George, Nathalie. PCT Int. Appl. (2004), WO 2004104588;

  8. “Guanine derivatives as substrates for O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase and their use in labeling the enzyme and fusion proteins”; Kindermann, Maik; Johnsson, Kai; Bieri, Christoph. PCT Int. Appl. (2004), WO 2004031405;

  9. “O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferases for efficient labeling of fusion proteins”; Juillerat, Alexandre; Keppler, Antje; Johnsson, Kai; Gronemeier, Thomas; Gendreizig, Susanne; Brecht, Andreas. PCT Int. Appl. (2004), WO 2004031404;

  10. “Methods using O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferases”; Kiddle, Simon John; Johnsson, Kai; Gendreizig, Susanne; Keppler, Antje. PCT Int. Appl. (2002), WO 2002083937;