Dr Jan Böhning

Position Governing Body Fellow Junior Research Fellow
School MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Biological Sciences
Email jboehning@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
Twitter @janboeh
Department link MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Jan’s research aims to provide a better understanding of how the bacterium that causes tuberculosis can persist within the human body, using a mixture of structural biology and infection biology approaches.

Jan studied Biochemistry at the Universities of Bayreuth and Munich in Germany, with an extended research stay at the University of California, San Diego. He then completed his doctorate at the University of Oxford, studying the structure of multicellular assemblies of bacteria, which play important roles in chronic infection.

Now based at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology as an MRC Career Development Fellow, Jan is working at the interface of structural and infection biology.

Jan’s postdoctoral work focuses on obtaining a better understanding of how the causative agent of tuberculosis, the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, maintains the integrity of its cell envelope. This cell envelope prevents host factors and antibiotics from entering the bacterial cell and killing it, but it is unclear how these bacteria can selectively take up nutrients and export virulence factors at the same time. Using a mixture of structural and infection biology approaches, Jan’s research attempts to elucidate the role of membrane transporter complexes in this process, helping to better understand this important pathogen and providing the groundwork for the development of new drugs and therapies against tuberculosis.

What's on

Event Type (field_event_type)

Two people walking away on a brick pathway lined with wisteria.

Poetry Trail

13/05/2024 at 12.00

Explore our new trail featuring extracts of poetry written by Wolfson staff and students for the forthcoming WolfWords Anthology Wild.

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Graduation Ceremony

17/05/2024 at 09.00

Graduation ceremonies are the culmination of students’ hard work and commitment, and a moment to celebrate the completion of their Cambridge degree.

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Postgraduate Research Soirée

17/05/2024 at 17.45

Join Wolfson postgraduate students as they talk about their research in an informal evening of interesting presentations and friendly discussion – complete with wine and cheese!