The work is focusing on ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

iGluRs are involved in fast synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. These receptors are important for memory and learning, but also involved in severe diseases, e.g. Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.

“My group is one of the leading groups in structural biology of iGluRs and has determined more than 100 structures”, says Professor Jette S. Kastrup.

Since 2015, the group has also worked on structural studies of GPCRs as a collaboration with Professor David Gloriam. GPCRs are targets for ~35% of all approved drugs.

The group’s research has to a large extent focused on crystal structure determinations of ligand-binding domains of iGluRs and been pioneering in several areas.

• First structure of the ligand-binding domain of a delta receptor (Naur et al. 2007)
• First structure of a kainate receptor with a positive allosteric modulator (Larsen et al. 2017)
• GPCR-ligand cryo-EM structure to 2.9 Å resolution (manuscript in preparation)

Postdocs/assistant professors:
Bettina Bryde Nielsen
Britt Petersson
Christian Krintel
Christina Kasper
Daniel Tapken
Eva B. Nygaard
Jacob Pøhlsgaard
Jerzy Dorosz
Louise Fletcher Nikolajsen
Nis Pedersen
Peter Naur
Raminta Venskutonyte
Saara Laulumaa
Stine Møllerud Frantsen
Taru Deva
Thor S. Thorsen
Torben Lazlo Antal

PhD students:
Anders Hogner
Anja K. Pedersen
Anja Probst Larsen
Ann-Beth Nørholm
Azadeh Shashavar
Cecilie Bonnesen
Christine Ussing
Desiree Sprogøe
Helle Hald
Jeppe A. Olsen
Lina Juknaitė
Line A. Rohde
Louise Fletcher Nikolajsen
Marie-Louise Lunn
Monica Fiorentini
Peter Naur
Raminta Venskutonyte
Stine Møllerud
Thomas B. Steffensen
Viggo Linde
Xiaole Wang

MSc students:
Alexander Gerbola
Ali Al-Musaed
Anja K. Pedersen
Anja Probst Larsen
Anne Frandsen
Anne Sofie Gry Larsen
Ann Kallehauge Nielsen
Aura Leahu
Ayse Agirbas
Barbara Harbak
Casper Bennike
Charlotte Møller Kristensen
Daniel Rasmussen
Fatemeh M. Tabrizi
Helle Hald
Ina Dai
Jeppe Olsen
Jesper Bruus-Jensen
Kasper Vesth Jacobsen
Karoline Rovinskaja
Kathrine Voigt Hansen
Lise Nielsen
Louise Ingerslev Sørensen
Mads Beich-Frandsen
Magdalena Masternak
Maria T. Kristensen
Mathias Poulsen
Merete Jørgensen
Mette Høgh Jensen
Michael Pilgaard
Nikolaj Hede
Pernille L. Sørensen
Samit Prakaikiat
Sebastian Køhler Winther
Silvia Barbateskovic
Steven Derek Gossland
Stine Schou
Sumaya Mohamed Awees
Tina Risager Clausen

BSc students
Anne Mette Kærn
Katrine McLain Christensen
Magdalena Masternak

Guest students:
Anna Ceravalls de Rabassa
Diletta Pasini
Giridhar Kshirsagar
Oriol de Barrios
Piero Temperini