Charlotte Uetrecht appointed new Scientific Director of CSSB
The Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) is under new scientific leadership this year. On 10 December 2025, the CSSB Council confirmed the Directorate’s nomination of Charlotte Uetrecht,Professor of Chemistry at the University of Lübeck, as the new CSSB Scientific Director for the coming two years.
The Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) is under new scientific leadership this year. On 10 December 2025, the CSSB Council confirmed the Directorate’s nomination of Charlotte Uetrecht,Professor of Chemistry at the University of Lübeck, as the new CSSB Scientific Director for the coming two years.
Charlotte Uetrecht joined CSSB as a group leader in 2021. Prior to joining CSSB, she spent several years as a junior group leader at the Leibniz Institute of Virology LIV and was a CSSB Associate Member. Uetrecht also has an association with Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY and the LIV.
As head of the “Dynamics of Viral Structures” research group at CSSB, Uetrecht investigates the assembly of norovirus particles and replication complexes of coronaviruses. Her group explores the dynamic molecular machinery involved in the viral lifecycle and is interested in capturing short-lived or transient states therein that cannot be purified. To capture these transient states, the group uses state-of-the-art structural mass spectrometry (MS), an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, and is able to identify how individual proteins shuttle between larger molecular structures.
"I am looking forward to welcoming our 10th partner, to seeing completion of the BSL3 laboratory and to celebrating the 10th anniversary and to shaping CSSB's future development," states Charlotte Uetrecht.
Uetrecht takes over from Holger Sondermann (DESY, CAU) who has served as CSSB’s Scientific Director for the past two years and will continue to support CSSB as “out-going” Deputy Director. The management team will be completed by the new “in-coming” Deputy Director Tim Gilberger (BNITM).
After serving for six years as both Deputy Director and Scientific Director, Kay Grünewald left the CSSB management team at the end of 2025. “The Directorate would like to thank Kay Grünewald for his commitment to CSSB,” notes Holger Sondermann. “Kay’s hard work and dedication has shaped CSSB and enabled it to become the outstanding research center it is today.”