Speaker

Elke Deuerling is Professor and Chair of Molecular Microbiology at the University of Konstanz, Germany. Her research elucidates the molecular principles of protein biogenesis and proteostasis, focusing on how nascent polypeptides emerging from the ribosome are accurately folded, modified, and targeted in order to maintain proteome integrity. She has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the ribosome-associated network of chaperones and biogenesis factors, particularly the nascent polypeptide–associated complex (NAC). Deuerling identified a previously unrecognized layer of co-translational regulation at the ribosomal exit site, demonstrating that NAC functions as a central organizer of early protein biogenesis. NAC acts as a selective gatekeeper sensing features of emerging nascent chains and modulating their access to competing ribosome-associated factors, including enzymes, chaperones and targeting factors. By coordinating the timely and substrate-specific recruitment of these biogenesis factors, NAC directs nascent polypeptides into the correct folding and targeting pathways. This prevents misfolding and ensures the efficient and accurate maturation of proteins. Her work establishes a conceptual framework for co-translational proteostasis and reveals evolutionarily conserved strategies that safeguard proteome integrity and cellular health.

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