Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Seyfert
As a Molecular
Biologist, I am head of the program area 1 ´Genetic, immunological and
physiological basis of fertility and resistance against diseases- prerequisites
for housing and breeding of healthy Farm-Animals of the FBN. At the same
time, I am also holding a professorship at the Biology Department of the
University of Rostock.
My early
scientific work analysed physiological controls of cell cycle progression and organization
of the cytosceleton in ciliated protozoa. In 1988, however, I switched to the
cow, analysing structure and regulation of genes with relevance for milk
formation and udder health. Thus, we resolved first the structures
of key milk genes, like aS1-casein, lactoferrin and the udder
expressed copy of the lysozyme-encoding gene, and analysed then the genes for
the STAT5 transcription factors, at that time known as ´Mammary Gland Factor´,
hence highly relevant regulators of milk gene expression.
Regarding milk
formation, we are currently seeking to better understand the controls partitioning
fat either into adipose tissue or milk. Hence, we analyse the molecular controls
regulating the tissue specific expression and activity of the Acetly-Coenzyme A-carboxylase
a (Acca; ACC-1), the rate limiting enzyme for de novo
synthesis of fatty acids.
Improvement of udder
health is a rewarding goal. Hence, uncovering molecular principles and
genes regulating the immune defence in the udder are of prime interest in our
group. Specific themes include the analysis of the role factors contributing to
the Innate Immune Defence to counteract mastitis, as well as the
characterization of the immune capacity of the Mammary Epithelial Cell.
Our group contributes to
national and international clusters-of-excellence.
·
At the national level,
I am the initiator and speaker of the DFG-funded ´Forschergruppe 585´, in which
seven groups are working together to analyse ´Pathogen-specific defence
mechanisms in the mammary gland´.
·
Internationally, our
work contributes to the EU-funded EADGENE-Network-of-Excellence on host
pathogen interaction. I am also coordinating the focus on mastitis in this
network. We have also long standing collaboration with partners in New Zealand.
Awards.
I am the 2005 Julius-von
Haast Fellow of the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology from New
Zealand.
Use
seyfert@fbn-dummerstorf.de for contact. Enter Seyfert HM
into the Medline (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed)
to survey the bibliography.
