I am a geneticist and chromatin biologist interested in how cells organize and control their genomes in space and time. My scientific path began at the University of Freiburg, studying signal transduction in plants, followed by a PhD with Stefan Jentsch at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry investigating ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation.
During my postdoctoral work with Hiten Madhani at UCSF, I moved into chromatin biology and epigenetics, ultimatitelyswitching to fission yeast as my favorite model system. I subsequently established my independent research group at LMU Munich, combining mechanistic chromatin biology with quantitative genetics and genome-wide approaches. In 2021, the lab moved to Justus Liebig University Giessen, where we study how chromatin domains and nuclear organization control genome function and epigenetic inheritance.
Beyond research, I enjoy mentoring young scientists and building collaborations. Outside the lab, I enjoy running, hiking, good food and wine—and occasionally trade lab and office for a camera or my guitar.
What the BraunLab says about Sigurd:
Sigurd is the creator of the famous 'wine-tasting' EMAP. We are not sure if this means he
turned his work into his hobby or his hobby into his work
He remembers papers, authors, and publication dates so well
that sometimes I wonder if he has a live Google Scholar feed running in his head.
If you haven't heard Sigurd say "the devil
is in the details" yet, you probably haven't been in the lab long enough.
Was once in a band and had long hair.
Photos of that time are surprisingly hard to find.
I am a PhD student in the Braun lab, where I study how cells reorganize their genome in response to environmental stress. I use Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model system and combine yeast genetics, gene expression analysis, and fluorescence microscopy to investigate the relationship between transcription and nuclear organization. I enjoy collaborative work and participating in interdisciplinary projects. I am also passionate about teaching students and discussing ideas. Outside the lab, I have a variety of hobbies, including listening to music, learning the violin, playing chess, cooking, and watching history videos.
Vishnu has an uncanny ability to multitask. Agnis remains convinced
he's disguising a few additional arms.
Whenever an experiment doesn't work and you're frustrated, Vishnu will hit you with
his endless optimism and somehow convince you that it's fine and will definitely work next time.
Mention food around Vishnu
and you don't even need to finish the sentence, he's already in.
During my bachelor’s and master’s studies, I worked as a student research assistant in the Braun Lab. In May 2026, I joined the lab as a PhD student. In my research, I use the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model system to investigate how the nuclear envelope protein Lem2 and associated chromatin- and RNA-based pathways contribute to the silencing of long terminal repeats (LTRs).
Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking and spending time with my friends and family.
Trained by Agnis, Jonas has inherited the art of ambitious experiments. If every flask has disappeared,
he's probably running a time course with eight dozen samples.
If you’re working late and suddenly see Jonas walking
into the lab at 8 p.m.,don’t be scared. Apparently, that’s perfectly normal for Jonas.
“Did you play Metazoa today?” - Jonas (everyday)
I joined the lab in April 2025 to complete my Bachelor's thesis, titled “Functional Analysis of the Lem2's Winged-Helix Domain in Schizosaccharomyces pombe ,” under Vishnu's supervision. After submitting my thesis in September, I stayed on in the lab as a research assistant (HiWi). In October 2026, I will begin my Master's thesis here.
Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with friends, hiking, and reading. I also really enjoy cooking.
Luca can turn any teaching course into a one-man ensemble, seamlessly switching between participant,
teaching assistant, and instructor. We are still not entirely sure who's mentoring whom.
Luca was once in the top 10%
of Sudoku players in Germany but is yet to add it to his CV.
Luca is really funny, considering he can't see a 67
without making a joke about it.
I have been working as a research assistant (HiWi) in the lab since February 2025, supporting the lab with tasks such as media preparation, general lab work, and reorganizing the laboratory. During my Bachelor’s thesis this summer under Vishnu’s supervision, I investigated conserved residues in the winged-helix domain of Lem2 to understand how this domain discriminates between different interaction partners and contributes to Lem2’s diverse functions. For this project, I learned and applied CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce targeted mutations and used yeast two-hybrid assays to assess changes in protein-protein interactions. I will continue this project as a research assistant alongside my regular lab responsibilities.
Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing and spending time with family and friends. I am also active in the student council (Fachschaft), representing students and helping improve university life.
Our lab's organizing wizard —tell her about something that needs to be stored, and moments later there's a documented 3D map showing exactly where to find it.
If you really want to ruin Kathi's day in the lab, just ask her to make YES+FOA
plates. YES+KAN plates, on the other hand, are her specialty—she's made thousands!
Kathi is a professional K-Pop dancer
(or at least in a dance course, ready to become one).
I'm the technical assistant of the BraunLab, interested in molecular biology and microbiology, and I now support a range of projects across the lab. My work involves preparing cultures and samples, extracting DNA, RNA and proteins, and supporting experiments using approaches including SDS-PAGE, western blotting, PCR and RT-qPCR. I have also contributed to work investigating heterochromatin localisation during nitrogen starvation. I enjoy the variety of the role and the practical work that allows experiments to run smoothly from behind the scenes. Outside the lab, I enjoy writing fiction, game design and recently I've been getting into plant tissue culture and baking.
You can try, but you simply can't beat Malcom when it comes to politeness.
Owns enough black Japanese clothing to look like he just returned from Tokyo. Prefers not to.
I am a recent BSc graduate from Bremen. I first joined the BraunLab as an intern, and later returned to complete my bachelor’s thesis, titled “Investigation of Subtelomeric Heterochromatin: Distinct Subdomains and Position Dependent Silencing,” under the supervision of Agnisrota and Sigurd. Since graduating, I have continued working in the lab as a student assistant and will be staying on as a research HiWi while I begin my master’s in Bioinformatics at JLU.
When I’m not in the lab, I like to spend my time crafting, playing sports, and spending time with my friends and family.
Another Agnis disciple and master of RT assays. Responsible for an unusually high density
of GOATs and ChIPmunks in the lab.
It's always hard to tell if Rosario has already gone home or is still stuck in a
four-hour meeting with Sigurd.
Has a special talent for making even the most intense experimental days feel lighter. Between
troubleshooting, long protocols, and waiting for results, her jokes & laughs always manage to make science a little more fun.
I am a molecular biologist and postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Cancer Institute, where I study how changes in chromatin architecture contribute to cellular aging and genome stability. During my PhD in the Braun lab, I used the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to investigate cell-to-cell heterogeneity in heterochromatin assembly at subtelomeres. As part of this work, I developed a three-color single-cell silencing (SCS) reporter system and combined molecular biology and genetic approaches to study how heterochromatin states are established and maintained. Outside the lab, I enjoy travelling, exploring new cuisines and cultures, listening to music, spending time in nature, and getting competitive over board games with friends.
You can never beat Agnis to the lab. She's already there when you arrive—
and there's a good chance she'll still be there when you leave.
Agnis is so great that when she left the
lab everyone argued over who the "new Agnis" was going to be.
Has the best handwriting. Her Eppis were the
only ones you could read and understand even months after the experiment was over.