Prof. Dr. Falk Büttner will be conducting research in the field of protein analytics at the Institute of Theoretical 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine (ITM) in the future. Previously, the biochemist worked at the Hannover 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏ical School, where he led a REBIRTH research group.

Biochemistry deals with processes and functions in living organisms and plants. Biological processes—such as those occurring within a cell—are examined and systematically studied at the molecular level. Using biological, medical, and chemical knowledge and methods, fundamental biological mechanisms can be elucidated. Biomolecules such as proteins and glycans (sugar molecules) play a crucial role in this context. Special analytical techniques are required to detect these biomolecules. Prof. Dr. Falk Büttner employs protein analytics, among other methods, to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of medically relevant processes. Thanks to this specialization, he is involved in a wide range of scientific collaboration projects.
“With Prof. Büttner, we have gained a very experienced colleague who not only brings outstanding expertise to the Institute of Theoretical 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine, but also offers excellent potential for clinical collaboration,” said Prof. Martina Kadmon, Dean of the Faculty of 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine, in praise of the new appointment.

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New Approaches in Bladder Cancer Diagnostics

Together with his team, Büttner succeeded in identifying so-called biomarkers in the urine of patients, which may indicate the presence of bladder cancer. These biomarkers are sugar structures (glycans) originally located on the surface of tumor cells and released into the urine. The use of these glycans as biomarkers has been filed as an international patent and was presented to industry representatives at BioVaria in Munich in 2022.
“A validation study is currently underway to determine whether the identified biomarkers are suitable to replace the current ‘gold standard’ in bladder cancer diagnostics—cystoscopy,” Büttner explains.

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Establishing a Service Unit for Protein and Glycan Analytics

Prof. Büttner aims to “develop new ideas and solutions to medically relevant questions, based on fundamental biomedical research and in collaborative efforts with other scientists.” He plans to acquire a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer—an apparatus used to measure the mass of molecules and atoms.
In addition to using it for his own biomedical research, he is also committed to making this analytical technology available to other scientists at the university—either through collaborations or as a service.

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About the Person

After studying biochemistry at Leibniz 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 in Hannover, Prof. Dr. Falk Büttner earned his doctorate in 2008 at the Institute of Microbiology at the 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 of Veterinary 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine Hannover, as a fellow of the DFG graduate program “Mucosal Host-Pathogen Interactions.” Following a postdoctoral period at Hannover 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏ical School (MHH), he was appointed Junior Professor for “Glycoproteomics” in 2011 and led the research group “Stem Cell Glycomics and Proteomics,” part of the former Excellence Cluster REBIRTH. In 2017, Büttner was appointed Associate Professor at MHH.
Since February 1, 2024, he has been working as a Professor of Protein Analytics at the Institute of Theoretical 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine (ITM) at the Faculty of 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine of the 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 of Augsburg.