Meet Franziska Giessler

Franziska Giessler

Now, for my PhD, I’m excited to stay in this field but shifting focus to compartments formed by lipid membranes. I’ve recently joined Kristina Ganzinger’s group at AMOLF in Amsterdam.

Hi, my name is Franzi!

I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Biochemistry at the University of Heidelberg. During my master’s thesis, I already worked in the field of bottom-up construction of synthetic cells. I explored how simple compartments formed by RNA molecules assembling based on their sequence can grow, dissolve and segregate using ribozymes. That’s where I became interested in understanding how life-like systems can emerge from simple molecules.

Now, for my PhD, I’m excited to stay in this field but shifting focus to compartments formed by lipid membranes. I’ve recently joined Kristina Ganzinger’s group at AMOLF in Amsterdam. My initial work will investigate how the PURE system influences membrane properties and how membrane composition, in turn, affects protein expression. PURE expression inside GUVs has been used for a while, but it’s far from trivial. There are many protocols, different methods, and various lipid compositions, often optimized for answering just one specific question. My goal is to take a broader, systematic approach: comparing different methods, exploring e.g. the influence of cholesterol, and understanding how these factors collectively impact protein expression and membrane behavior.

When I’m not in the lab, I love staying active with gymnastics and still compete for my team back in Heidelberg. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places, sometimes on my motorbike! At home, I like cooking, and I’m a big coffee enthusiast. Right now, I’m learning latte art, so if you pass by AMOLF, I’ll happily make you a coffee with a design that might leave you wondering, “What is this supposed to be?”