The physician and biochemist Prof. Dr Nikolaus Pfanner from the University of Freiburg and a CIBSS founding member has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the development and structure of cellular powerhouses (mitochondria). He was admitted to the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome in November 2025 for it. The Accademia dei Lincei is Italy‘s national academy of sciences. Founded in 1603, it is the world’s oldest academy of sciences. During a symposium at Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität in Munich, Pfanner was also awarded the Walter Neupert Medal. Named after Munich-based cell biologist and biochemist Prof. Dr Dr h.c. mult. Walter Neupert, the medal is awarded to outstanding scientists in the fields of cell biology, biochemistry and medicine. “These awards are a great honour and recognition not only for me, but for my entire team of outstanding colleagues, who have enthusiastically contributed to our research on cellular powerhouses,” says Pfanner.
Two awards for Nikolaus Pfanner for his findings on cellular powerhouses
For his contribution to understanding the origin and structure of cellular powerhouses, Nikolaus Pfanner was admitted to the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy’s national academy of sciences. He has also been awarded the Walter Neupert Medal.
Nikolaus Pfanner has been Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg since 1992. He is also a founding member of the CIBSS Cluster of Excellence.
Photo: Jürgen Gocke / CIBSS
Pioneer in mitochondrial research
Pfanner and his research team were the first in the world to decipher the composition of an entire cell organelle and showed that mitochondria consist of more than 1,000 different proteins. He investigated how these proteins reach their workplace in the mitochondria. In doing so, he discovered receptors, channels and transport motors that work together in molecular machines and control the structure of the cellular powerhouses. Since mitochondrial malfunctions can lead to serious disorders, Pfanner’s work contributes to a better understanding of diseases, especially those of the nervous system, heart and muscles, in which the metabolism of the cellular powerhouses plays an important role.
Nikolaus Pfanner
Nikolaus Pfanner studied medicine in Munich. After research stays at the University of Munich and Princeton University (USA), he has been Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg since 1992. He is a founding member of the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies and a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Academia Europaea. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Max Planck Research Award, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the Baden-Württemberg State Research Prize, the Hector Science Prize, the Stein and Moore Award, the Otto Warburg Medal, the Schleiden Medal and the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon.
Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei
The academy was founded in 1603, making it the oldest academy of sciences in the world. Its members included Galileo Galilei and Albert Einstein. The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, based in Rome, is Italy’s national academy of sciences.
Walter Neupert-Medaille
The Walter Neupert Medal is awarded to outstanding scientists in the fields of cell biology, biochemistry and medicine. It is named after the Munich-based cell biologist and biochemist Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Walter Neupert (1939-2019), who, as the scientific grandson of Otto Warburg, made fundamental contributions to cell biology and the foundations of mitochondrial research.