Alexander Kanitz

Contact Information ETH Zurich      Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences      Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Pharmacogenomics Unit      Wolfgang Pauli-Strasse 10      8093 Zurich      Switzerland      Google Maps link Email: alexander.kanitz@pharma.ethz.ch Education December 2011 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland Nov 2007 – Dec 2011 Graduate studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland Nov 2007 – Dec 2011 Graduate studies in Molecular Life Sciences, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, Zurich, Switzerland March 2007 Master of Science (M.Sc.), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Oct 2004 – Mar 2007 Undergraduate studies in Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands July 2004 Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Technical University of Munich, Germany Sep 2001 – Jul 2004 Undergraduate studies in Molecular Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Germany Research interests I am interested in post-transcriptional regulatory networks, particularly the regulation of mRNA translation, localization and stability by RNA-binding proteins and non-coding RNAs. In our lab we are studying the dynamics of mRNPs in yeast and human cell lines, and we hope that our work will contribute to the deciphering of the "mRNP code". Current position I am a grad student in the Gerber Lab at the ETH Zurich, working on post-transcriptional gene regulation, and was recruited through the Molecular Life Sciences program of the Life Science Zurich Graduate School. Tentative title of the project: "Systematic Analysis of the Crosstalk between Regulatory RNA-Binding Proteins and the MicroRNA Machinery". I am an initiator of the RNA Club Zurich and the (currently defunct) Zurich-based "Web Utilities and Software Seminar". Furthermore I maintain the web presence of the Gerber Lab (currently moving to the UK). Previous labs 2006 - Tergaonkar Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Biopolis, Singapore: "Characterization of a Putative IKK2 in Danio rerio" / Supervisor: Prof. Vinay Tergaonkar 2004-2005 - Seppen Lab, AMC Liver Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands: "Lentiviral Gene Transfer of Chemically Inducible Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor and Liver Re-Targeting of Lentiviral Particles" / Supervisors: Dr. Jurgen Seppen, Prof. Ronald P.J. Oude-Elferink 2004 - Skerra Lab, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Germany: "Production and characterization of the enzymatically active domain of the endolysine Ply500 isolated from Listeria monocytogenes-bacteriophage A 500" / Supervisors: Dr. Ingo P. Korndörfer, Prof. Arne Skerra Education since 2007: PhD student, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, ETH Zurich 2004-2007: MSc Medical Biochemistry, University of Amsterdam 2001-2004: BSc Molecular Biotechnology, Technical University of Munich Publications Kanitz A and Gerber AP. Circuitry of mRNA regulation. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Systems Biology and Medicine 2009 Sep 30. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.55 Galgano A, Forrer M, Jaskiewicz L, Kanitz A, Zavolan M, and Gerber AP. Comparative analysis of mRNA targets for human PUF-family proteins suggests extensive interaction with the miRNA regulatory system. PLoS One. 2008 Sep 8;3(9):e3164. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0003164 | Korndörfer IP, Kanitz A, Danzer J, Zimmer M, Loessner MJ, and Skerra A. Structural analysis of the L-alanoyl-D-glutamate endopeptidase domain of Listeria bacteriophage endolysin Ply500 reveals a new member of the LAS peptidase family. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2008 Jun;64(Pt 6):644-50. DOI:10.1107/S0907444908007890 | Markusic DM, Kanitz A, Oude-Elferink RP, and Seppen J. Preferential gene transfer of lentiviral vectors to liver-derived cells, using a hepatitis B peptide displayed on GP64. Hum Gene Ther. 2007 Jul;18(7):673-9. DOI:10.1089/hum.2007.027 | Useful links Gerber Lab on OWW Gerber Lab @ Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland Life Science Zurich Graduate School Tergaonkar Lab @ Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Biopolis, Singapore Skerra Lab @ Institute of Biological Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Germany (German only) <html> <iframe width="260" height="130" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://www.29travels.com/getmap.php?j=AEATBECACHCZDEDKESFRGRHUIDINITKHLUMCMYNLPHSGSMTHUSVA&c=cc3af0ea&w=260&h=130"></iframe><br /><div style="width:650px;padding-left:3px;text-align:left;font-size:10px"><small>Countries I have visited.</a></small></div> <br/> <a href="http://www4.clustrmaps.com/user/c84798ac"><img src="http://www4.clustrmaps.com/stats/maps-no_clusters/openwetware.org-wiki-Alexander_Kanitz-thumb.jpg" alt="Locations of visitors to this page" /> </a> </html>