Personal information
Dr. Melissa Bärenfänger
Assistant Professor
Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry
Research
Our research group aims to unravel biomolecular structures and relate them to function in human health and disease. We focus on protein glycosylation, the attachment of various monosaccharides to a protein, resulting in a heterogeneous “sugar code”. This modification of proteins directly influences protein structure and function, regulating pathways throughout all biological systems. By evolving analytical technologies required to unravel the effects of changes in protein glycosylation on protein structure we are providing the basis for understanding the sugar code. Our technologies include bottom-up glycoproteomics, mass spectrometry analysis of release N-glycans as well as native ion mobility mass spectrometry to understand the conformational impact of glycans on proteins.
Teaching
- Bachelor courses:
Identificatietechnieken (1st year BSc. FAR)
Identificatietechnieken Honors Program (1st year BSc. FAR)
Unraveling molecular structure & function by Mass Spectrometry (2ndy BSc Chemistry)
- Master courses
Protein Analysis (MSc Analytical Sciences)
Fundamentals of Mass Spectrometry (MSc Analytical Sciences)
- Track coordinator Bioanalytics in Drug Discovery in the master program Drug Discovery Sciences
Other important information / grants / group information / other activities
- PhD scholarship from the Landesgraduiertenföderung.
- PhD thesis awarded as one of the best doctoral theses by the Freundes- und Förderverein Chemie
- NOW-XS grant 2025 - How does Parkinson’s disease begin?
A Molecular Look at the Origin of Protein Aggregation - University Teaching Qualification (Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs, BKO)
- Website for glycan, glycopeptide and glycoprotein mass calculation: www.glycomass.com
More information can be found on my Research Portal Profile.
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