Institut für Medizinische Biochemie

Plaumann group

Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry

Molecular sensors, cellular systems, multinuclear NMR and hyperpolarized spectroscopy

The Plaumann group integrates molecular biology and medicinal chemistry to develop and apply molecular systems for the analysis of biological processes. Central to this work is the combination of cell-based and molecular biological approaches with chemical synthesis and advanced NMR spectroscopy.

In molecular biology, cellular systems and experimental models are used to investigate the stability, interactions, and biological effects of developed compounds. A particular focus lies on supramolecular host–guest systems, which enable and control the transport of molecules across and through cellular membranes. Radiochemical approaches further provide detailed insights into metabolic processes and molecular transformations.

Medicinal chemistry focuses on the development of fluorinated molecular sensors as well as the application of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy to complex systems. Hyperpolarization methods (PHIP, SABRE) enhance these approaches by increasing sensitivity.

By closely integrating both areas, the group contributes to the development of novel molecular tools for analyzing biological systems and for the early detection of disease-related changes.

Research Areas

Molecular biology	Medicinal Chemistry

Cellular systems and molecular biological methods Host–guest systems (transport and membrane interactions) Radiochemistry and metabolism	Fluorinated molecular sensors Multinuclear NMR in complex systems Hyperpolarized NMR spectroscopy

Selected Publications

Parahydrogen‐based hyperpolarization for biomedicine

J.-B. Hövener, A. N. Pravdivtsev, B. Kidd, C. R. Bowers, S. Glöggler, K. V. Kovtunov, M. Plaumann, R. Katz-Brull, K. Buckenmaier, A. Jerschow, F. Reineri, T. Theis, R. V. Shchepin, S. Wagner, P. Bhattacharya, N. M. Zacharias, E. Y. Chekmenev
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 11140

Fluorescence Quenching for Determination of Catalyst Concentration in the Parahydrogen‐Induced Polarization Method SABRE

T. Houben, F. Mysegaes, J. Z. Myers, N. Kempf, C. D. Assaf, A. N. Pravdivtsev, K. Buckenmaier, R. Körber, M. Plaumann
ChemPhotoChem 2024, 8, e202400106

Direct detection of SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarization and spin-lattice relaxation of [1-¹³C] pyruvate

J.Z. Myers, M. Plaumann, K. Buckenmaier, A. N. Pravdivtsev, R. Körber
Direct detection of SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarization and spin-lattice relaxation of [1-¹³C]pyruvate
Commun Chem 2026, 9, 44

¹⁹F VT NMR: Novel Tm³⁺ and Ce³⁺ Complexes Provide New Insight into Temperature Measurement Using Molecular Sensors

F. Mysegaes, P. Spiteller, J. Bernarding, M. Plaumann
ChemPhysChem 2023, 24, e202300057

Two fluorinated thulium complexes as molecular temperature sensors in MR applications

F. Mysegaes, P. Voigt, P. Spiteller, I. Prediger, J. Bernarding, M. Plaumann
Chem. Commun. 2023, 59, 9340-9343