Andreas Koenig, PhD

My group is interested to identify functional consequences of defect membrane anchor synthesis in innate immune cells. We study particularly the effect on membrane-bound versus soluble molecules that derive from monocytes. A dysregulation of the membrane-to-soluble ratio could have a direct impact on the development of conditions such as atherosclerosis through skewed macrophage differentiation and metabolic reprogramming, lipid uptake and foam cell formation. Further, the generation of excessive amounts of damaging reactive oxygen species may lead to metabolic exhaustion in these cells in response to infections. We are also investigating the mechanistic basics of mitochondrial dysfunction and innate immunity activation as a driver of systemic inflammation and comorbidity risk factors in obesity.