Dr. Fangfang Chen

08/2022 – now
Postdoctoral fellow in the research group “Cellular Metabolism”, Department of Bioinformatics & Biochemistry, BRICS, TU Braunschweig.

04/2022 – 07/2022
Postdoctoral fellow in the research group “Biomarkers in Infectious Diseases”, Twincore-Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover

01/2018 – 03/2022
PhD student in the research group “Biomarkers in Infectious Diseases”, Twincore-Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover
Doctoral thesis: “Differential effects of itaconic acid isomers on TCA cycle and inflammation” (mark: 1.0, summa cum laude, Hannover Medical School, Hannover)

12/2016– 12/2017
Pursuing Master thesis in the department “Structure and Function of Proteins”, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig

10/2015– 12/2017
Master program in Biotechnology in University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig

03/2015– 09/2017
Pursuing Bachelor thesis in the department “Recombinant Protein Expression”, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig

2022

• Gruenwald M, Chen F, Bähre H, Pessler F. Itaconate Isomers in Bread. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Jul 16;11(7):1382. doi: 10.3390/antiox11071382. PMID: 35883873; PMCID: PMC9312323.
• Chen, F., Elgaher, W.A.M., Winterhoff, M. et al. Citraconate inhibits ACOD1 (IRG1) catalysis, reduces interferon responses and oxidative stress, and modulates inflammation and cell metabolism. Nat Metab 4, 534–546 (2022). doi.org/10.1038/s42255-022-00577-x
• Sohail A*, Iqbal A*, Sahini N*, Chen F**, Tantawy M**, Waqas F**, Winterhoff M**, Ebensen T, Schulz K, Geffers R, Schughart K, , Preusse M, Pils MC, Guzmann CA, Mostafa A, Pleschka S, Falk C, Michelucci A, Pessler F***. Itaconate and derivatives reduce interferon responses and inflammation in influenza A virus infection. PLOS Pathogens. 2022 Jan 13;18(1):e1010219. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010219.

2021

• Franz S, Pott F, Zillinger T, Schüler C, Dapa S, Fischer C, Passos V, Stenzel S, Chen F, Döhner K, Hartmann G, Sodeik B, Pessler F, Simmons G, Drexler JF, Goffinet C. Human IFITM3 restricts chikungunya virus and Mayaro virus infection and is susceptible to virus-mediated counteraction. Life Sci Alliance. 2021 Jun 2;4(7):e202000909. doi: 10.26508/lsa.202000909.
• Winterhoff M, Chen F, Sahini N, Ebensen T, Kuhn M, Kaever V, Bähre H, Pessler F. Establishment, Validation, and Initial Application of a Sensitive LC-MS/MS Assay for Quantification of the Naturally Occurring Isomers Itaconate, Mesaconate, and Citraconate. Metabolites. 2021 Apr 26;11(5):270. doi: 10.3390/metabo11050270.

2019

• Chen F*, Lukat P*, Iqbal AA, Saile K, Kaever V, van den Heuvel J, Blankenfeldt W, Büssow K, Pessler F. Crystal structure of cis-aconitate decarboxylase reveals the impact of naturally occurring human mutations on itaconate synthesis. PNAS. 2019 Oct 8;116(41):20644-20654. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1908770116.

2016

• Bleckmann M*, Schürig M*, Chen FF, Yen ZZ, Lindemann N, Meyer S, Spehr J, van den Heuvel J. Identification of Essential Genetic Baculoviral Elements for Recombinant Protein Expression by Transactivation in Sf21 Insect Cells. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 2;11(3):e0149424. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149424.

Patent

• Citraconsäure als entzündungshemmemde und zellprotektive Substanz und als Inhibitor des Enzyms cis-Aconitat-Decarboxylase. EPA No. 21170041.4

• 11/2022: MHH Promotionspreise 2022
• 11/2022: Paper of the Month (HZI)
• 06/2022: Best Poster for Cell Symposia: Translational Immunometabolism
• 06/2022: 2022 ICIS Student/Postdoc Member Travel Award
• 11/2021: Chinese government award for outstanding self-finance students abroad 2020
• 10/2021: European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) Trainee Abstract Awards
• 11/2019: Paper of the Month (HZI)
• 09/2019: Best talk for summer school (AMPro)