Heinrich Draeger Research Award 2007

  • Hogg, Tanis (Award Recipient)

Prize: Awards of the University of Luebeck

General Description

Dr. rer. nat. Tanis Hogg is awarded the Heinrich Draeger Science Prize 2007 for his scientific publication "Structural and Functional Characterization of Falcipain-2, a Hemoglobinase from the Malarial Parasite Plasmodium falciparum". He is first author of the paper, and the co-authors are Krishna Nagarajan, Saskia Herzberg, Lili Chen, Xu Shen, Hualiang Jiang, Maria Wecke, Christoph Blohmke, Rolf Hilgenfeld and Christian L. Schmidt. Dr. Hogg, who received his doctorate from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena in 2001, conducts research at the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Lübeck under the direction of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Rolf Hilgenfeld. The research results published in the article are an important step towards the development of urgently needed new drugs against malaria. The infection is caused by the single-celled parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is transmitted to humans by the mosquito Anopheles. The parasites have developed resistance to existing antimalarial drugs worldwide. Dr. Hogg and his colleagues studied how the malaria parasite's enzyme falcipain-2 binds to and degrades hemoglobin in red blood cells. They used X-ray structural analysis to elucidate the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme and are now able to design targeted inhibitors. The work appeared in the highly respected scientific journal "Journal of Biological Chemistry" (JBC 2006, Vol. 281, Nr. 35, S. 25425-25437).
The journal also dedicated the cover of the issue to Dr. Hogg's findings, which he designed himself. The JBC is one of the world's top 15 journals in biology (impact factor 2005 approx. 8).

The Heinrich Draeger Research Award was established in 2004 by the Dräger family and Drägerwerk AG on the initiative of Mrs. Lisa Dräger.
Once a year, the University of Luebeck awards this prize in recognition of a particularly outstanding scientific publication based on results that were primarily generated at the university. The prize is awarded alternately to scientists from the STEM and Medicine faculties.
It is awarded as the Perfood Research Award since 2021.
Degree of recognitionLocal
Granting Organisations

Research Area or Academic Center

  • Academic Focus: Center for Infection and Inflammation Research (ZIEL)

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