Prof. Dr. Ivan Đikić

Max Planck Fellow

We are happy to share our knowledge and infrastructure with Prof. Ivan Đikić. 

The molecular biologist and biochemist Ivan Đikić, Director of the Institute of Biochemistry II at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, has been appointed as Fellow of the Max Planck Society. He started his term at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in October 2018.
The Max Planck Fellow Programme promotes cooperation between outstanding university professors and Max Planck Society researchers.
The appointment as Max Planck Fellow entails the supervision of a small working group at a Max Planck Institute for a five years term.
Research in the Đikić group is centered around two major cellular quality control pathways: the ubiquitin system and autophagy. As such they provide protection against various human diseases and are involved in almost all cellular signaling processes. The group covers a wide range of expertise to reveal structure-function relationships. Recently, the Đikić Molecular Signaling Group revealed a novel ubiquitination mechanism induced by bacterial enzymes upon infection of human cells. In collaboration with colleagues at the Frankfurt Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, the group now aims to resolve additional atomic details of this serine ubiquitination. A second area of mutual interest is in remodeling of endoplasmic reticulum via a process known as ER-phagy. Until now, very little is known about the mechanisms facilitating membrane targeting, bending and shaping during this selective form of autophagy.
In addition, Ivan Đikić aims to also build strong links to the highly competitive cancer research programme at Goethe University. He is one of the founders of the Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), which has recently received significant funding for building up a LOEWE center and a new research building.
Professor Đikić was honoured with numerous prizes including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2013 (DFG), two European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants, the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine and the German Cancer Prize (Deutscher Krebspreis) by the German Cancer Society.
Ivan Đikić is deeply committed towards education of the next generation of scientists and to communication of science to the public. He sustains strong links to his homeland Croatia, where his efforts in both education and communication have been recognized by the highest civilian honour, The Order of Duke Branimir, bestowed by the President of Croatia.