Dr. Johanna Huchting

Foto: Johanna Huchting

Postdoc

AG Meier

Anschrift

Universität Hamburg

Fachbereich Chemie

Institut für Organische Chemie

AG Meier

Martin -Luther-King-Platz 6

20146 Hamburg

Büro

Raum: Office 523, Lab 524/525

Kontakt

Tel.: +49 40 42838-7451

E-Mail: johanna.huchting"AT"chemie.uni-hamburg.de

Research Interest

Johanna’s research interest centers on chemistry and biology of nucleotides and their analogues; she integrates methods from synthetic organic chemistry as well as enzymatic and cell-based assays to interrogate nucleotide-related cellular processes or to inhibit viral replication.

Postdoc Experience

Johanna finished her PhD in Chemistry in 2014 and afterwards received an individual research grant from DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Research Foundation) to advance nucleotide analogue inhibitors of RNA virus replication at the University of Hamburg. She uncovered the inherent chemical instability in the activated form of favipiravir, a nucleobase analogue and anti-influenza virus drug, and synthesized analogues & pronucleotides with superior chemical stability and antiviral activity. For the biological part of her studies, Johanna joined Lieve Naesens’ team at the Rega Institute for Medical Research (KU Leuven, Belgium), supported by an Early Career Development Scholarship for Women in Science awarded by the Chu Family Foundation in 2016. In Leuven, she screened her compounds against influenza viruses and performed further cell-based as well as enzymatic studies to address their mechanism of action. In 2017, Johanna’s contributions to antiviral research were recognized with the Kurt-Hartwig-Siemers-Wissenschaftspreis. After shortly rejoining Chris Meier’s lab at University of Hamburg, she continued her research in the Influenza group at Rega Institute in 2018, supported by a postdoc fellowship from DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, German Academic Exchange Service). Her work revealed specific limitations of T-1105, an analogue of the drug favipiravir, especially regarding its broad-spectrum antiviral potency, and importantly, her findings pointed to novel strategies towards overcoming these limitations. In her present DZIF-funded research position in Chris Meier’s lab at University of Hamburg, Johanna is pursuing this goal further, ultimately aiming to contribute to the development of novel treatments against emerging infections.

Conference Contributions

Talks

Poster

J. Huchting, E. Vanderlinden, C. Meier, L. Naesens, ‘Cell-type Dependence of Metabolic Products and Antiviral Potency for T-705 and T-1105‘; 32^nd International Conference on Antiviral Research, 05/2019, Baltimore, USA.

J. Huchting, E. Vanderlinden, L. Naesens, C. Meier, ‘Chemistry and Biology of Hydroxypyrazinecarboxamide Pseudobases T-705 and T-1105’; 23^rd International Roundtable on Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids; 08/2018, San Diego, USA.

J. Huchting, E. Vanderlinden, L. Naesens, C. Meier, ‘Initial Studies on T-1105’s Redox Properties and Its Structural Similarity to Nicotinamide’; 31^st International Conference on Antiviral Research, 06/2018, Porto, Portugal.

J. Huchting, M. Winkler, H. Nasser, C. Meier, ‘Lability of the Favipiravir Ribonucleoside and First Mechanistic Details’ &
E. Vanderlinden, J. Huchting, C. Meier, L. Naesens, ‘Successful Design of Ribonucleoside Di- and Triphosphate Prodrugs to Improve the Anti-Influenza Virus Activity of T-705 and its Analogue T-1105’ (Poster Award); 30^th International Conference on Antiviral Research, 05/2017, Atlanta, USA.

J. Huchting, L. Oestereich, S. Guenther, C. Meier, ‘Mono-, Di- and Triphosphate Prodrugs of the T-1105 Ribonucleotides’; 22^nd International Roundtable on Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids, 07/2016, Paris, France.

T. Gollnest, J. Balzarini, D. Schols, J. Huchting, C. Meier ,‘PRONUCLEOTIDES 3.0: Nucleoside Triphosphate Prodrugs ‑ The TriPPPro-Approach’; 28^th International Conference on Antiviral Research, 05/2015, Rome, Italy.

J. Huchting, C. Meier, ‘Synthesis of cycloSal-Activated Glycopyranosyl Phosphates and their Use as Key Building Blocks in Synthesis’; 26^th International Carbohydrate Symposium; 07/2012, Madrid, Spain

J. Huchting, C. Meier, ‘Synthesis of Glycosyl Phosphate Conjugates Using the cycloSal-Method’; 16^th European Carbohydrate Symposium; 07/2011, Sorrento, Italy.

J. Huchting, S. Wolf, C. Meier, ‘cycloSal-Nucleotides in Synthesis’; 19^th International Roundtable on Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids; 08/2010, Lyon, France.

Academic Studies

since October 2004: Academic studies in Chemistry at the University of Hamburg

August 2009 - March 2010: Diploma thesis in the working group of Prof. Dr. Chris Meier (Title: Synthesis of Nucleoside Diphosphate Disaccharides Using cycloSal-activated Phosphate Donors)

April 2010 - May 2014: Ph. D. thesis in the working group of Prof. Dr. Chris Meier (Title: cycloSal-Glycopyranosylphosphate – Ihre Darstellung sowie Anwendung als aktivierte Synthesebausteine)

Publications

J. Huchting, E. Vanderlinden, R. Van Berwaer, C. Meier, L. Naesens, Antivir. Res. 2019, 1-5.

J. Huchting, E. Vanderlinden, M. Winkler, H. Nasser, L. Naesens, C. Meier, J. Med. Chem. 2018, 6193-6210.

J. Huchting, M. Winkler, H. Nasser, C. Meier, ChemMedChem, 2017, 652-659.

M.C.B.A. Souza, J. Huchting, Rev. Virtual Quim. 2016, 1485-1509.

J. Huchting, C. Meier, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2014, 3423-3429.

J. Huchting, A. Ruthenbeck, C. Meier, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2013, 6907-6916.

Fellowship and Adwards

Postdoc fellowship from German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD), 2018.

Kurt-Hartwig-Siemers-Wissenschaftspreis 2017, awarded by the Hamburgische Wissenschaftliche Stiftung & Edmund Siemers Stiftung.

Poster Award (Postdoc category 1st place) at 30th ICAR in Atlanta, USA, 2017.

Early Career Development Scholarship for Women in Science, awarded by the Chu Family Foundation and IS3NA, 2016.

Travel Grants from DZIF Academy, International Society on Antiviral Research, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker and Freundes- und Förderverein Chemie der Universität Hamburg e.V. for participation in international scientific conferences.

PhD-Award by the Freundes- und Förderverein Chemie der Universität Hamburg e.V. in 2014.

PhD fellowship from ProExzellenzia (co-funded by the European Social Fund and the City of Hamburg), 2010-2011.