Nikolaus Rajewsky PhD

Nikolaus Rajewsky has set new standards in systems biology and enriched the life sciences as a whole. With great creativity and productivity, his work combines physics and mathematics with systems biology, which examines the regulatory processes in whole cells or organisms across the genome or proteome. Of particular importance is Rajewsky’s work on microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that play a key role in controlling cellular processes, but also in the development of cancer and other diseases. A computer program developed under Rajewsky’s guidance made it possible for the first time to identify the target genes of microRNAs. Using another technology, the strength of the effect of microRNA regulation on protein synthesis could be described. With the antagomirs he helped develop, Rajewsky was able to shut down the activities of microRNAs specifically and reliably. This is also a starting point for the development of novel drugs.