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At IMB, we explore the molecular biology of the nucleus with an overarching focus on gene regulation, epigenetics & genome stability

Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB)

Roopesh Anand  Joan Barau  Petra Beli  Ulrich Hohmann  Claudia Keller Valsecchi  René Ketting  Anton Khmelinskii  Julian König  Nard Kubben  Katja Luck  Christof Niehrs  Jan Padeken  Stamatis Papathanasiou  Katharina Papsdorf  Sandra Schick  Helle Ulrich  Siyao Wang  Sina Wittmann 

Evolutionary play in gene expression

Ulrich Hohmann

Gene expression is fundamental to life, converting the information in DNA into proteins. Throughout evolution, cells have developed a rich variety of mechanisms to fine-tune and adapt gene expression to different environments and stresses. Currently, we are particularly interested in mRNA nuclear export, an essential yet often overlooked step of eukaryotic gene expression. 

We combine biochemistry, structural biology and in vivo model systems (cell culture, fruit fly and zebrafish) to discover new mechanisms in gene expression biology and to unveil their inner workings in mechanistic detail. To do so, we focus on three parallel entry points: (1) studying the regulation of mRNA export and its intersection with other nuclear RNA pathways, (2) understanding how mRNA export is hijacked in the animal germline for the processing of unusual RNAs, and (3) screening for novel intersections between viral proteins and host factors.

Research website

Positions held

  • From 2026: Group Leader, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz
  • 2019 - 2026: Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology and Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria
  • 2018 - 2019: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Education

  • 2018: PhD in Molecular and Structural Biology, University of Geneva
  • 2012: MSc in Biology, Technical University Munich

Selected publications by Ulrich Hohmann

Bugai A*, Hohmann U*, Lorenzo A*, Graf M*, Fin L, Rouviere J, Tirian L, Dou Y, Polak P, Johnsen D, Jakobsen L, Andersen JS, Brennecke J#, Plaschka C# and Jensen TH# (2025) Molecular basis of polyadenylated RNA fate determination in the nucleus. bioRxiv (*indicates joint contribution; #indicates joint correspondence) Link

Hohmann U, Graf M, Schellhaas U, Pacheco-Fiallos B, Fin L, Riabov-Bassat D, Pühringer T,  Szalay MF, Tirian L, Handler D, Brennecke J and Plaschka C (2024)A molecular switch orchestrates the export of human messenger RNA. bioRxiv Link

Pühringer T*, Hohmann U*, Fin L, Pacheco-Fiallos B, Schellhaas U, Brennecke J and Plaschka C (2020) Structure of the human core transcription-export complex reveals a hub for multivalent interactions. eLife, 9:e61503 (*indicates joint contribution) Link