In the heart of Frankfurt, a remarkable scientific journey is unfolding at Goethe University, where two pioneering researchers have secured prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, enabling them to push the boundaries of scientific measurement and exploration. Dr. Jeremy McCormack and Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev, each working on distinctly innovative projects, are tackling pressing questions in ecology and biochemistry with cutting-edge methodologies that promise to reshape our understanding of both ancient ecosystems and the intricate molecular machinery of life.
Dr. Jeremy McCormack’s work is situated within the context of the Earth’s ongoing sixth mass extinction, a sobering era marked by unprecedented species loss largely driven by human activity. His research centers on sharks, apex predators whose precarious status today—where roughly 25% of species face extinction—mirrors troubling trends that may be rooted deep in the geological past. Through the analysis of fossilized shark teeth, his project seeks to unravel how shifts in ancient shark diets and ecological interactions contributed to their extinction events. This approach hinges on sophisticated isotopic analysis, focusing particularly on zinc, calcium, and nitrogen isotopes.
The crux of McCormack’s methodology lies in isotopic fractionation within shark teeth enamel. By examining ratios of these isotopes, which vary predictably along food chains, Dr. McCormack can reconstruct trophic levels and dietary preferences from millions of years ago. For instance, nitrogen isotopes provide insights into the position of these predators within marine food webs, while zinc isotopes serve as a relatively novel proxy offering high-resolution data on dietary sources. Such detailed ecological reconstructions grant vital clues about how prehistoric shark populations responded to environmental shifts, fluctuations in prey availability, and competition—all factors that may have precipitated their decline.
These insights have profound implications extending beyond paleoecology. Understanding the vulnerabilities and adaptive strategies that led to past extinctions can guide modern conservation efforts aimed at halting or mitigating the ongoing crisis threatening today’s shark species. By bridging deep-time ecological data with current challenges, McCormack’s research epitomizes how paleo-scientific investigations can inform stewardship of biodiversity in a novel and urgently relevant way.
Meanwhile, Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev is spearheading a revolutionary advancement in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy at Goethe University’s Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Center (BMRZ). His project seeks to refine and expand the capabilities of liquid-state dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) spectroscopy—an advanced technique that significantly boosts the sensitivity of NMR measurements. Unlike conventional NMR that sometimes requires freezing samples to enhance signal detection, liquid-state DNP allows observation of biomolecules in solution, preserving their native dynamic structures.
Kuzhelev’s innovation lies in pushing this technology to analyze biomolecular solutions at the nanoliter scale, a feat which, if successful, will open unparalleled opportunities for studying complex biological systems in conditions that closely mimic their natural physiological environments. By enhancing DNP polarization efficiency and developing tailored probe designs and experimental protocols, his work is set to overcome existing limitations, particularly for large and intricate biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acid complexes.
These methodological breakthroughs have far-reaching consequences for structural biology and pharmacology. Understanding the structures and conformational dynamics of biomolecules in their functional, solvated states is critical for elucidating mechanisms underlying health and disease. It also promises to accelerate drug discovery processes by providing detailed molecular insights that are often inaccessible with current frozen or crystalline sample-based techniques.
Goethe University President Professor Enrico Schleiff praised the projects, highlighting how they embody the university’s commitment to pioneering measurements that push scientific frontiers. These two projects, although distinct in focus—one ecological, one biochemical—both harness state-of-the-art analytical tools to advance knowledge at scales ranging from molecular nanoliters to geological epochs. Their success was recognized through ERC Starting Grants, which fund early-career researchers with up to 1.5 million euros over five years, emphasizing the European Research Council’s dedication to frontier scientific inquiry.
The ERC itself, established by the European Commission, seeks to fund research that opens new frontiers of knowledge, underscoring the importance of fundamental, high-risk, high-gain science. Supporting early career scientists like McCormack and Kuzhelev ensures that Europe remains at the Cutting Edge in various disciplines, from paleontology to physical chemistry.
Dr. McCormack’s research utilizes advanced geochemical techniques that translate atomic-level measurements from fossil teeth into ecological narratives. Specifically, analyzing mineralized tissues allows researchers to capture dietary histories encoded within biochemical signatures, which are resistant to diagenetic alteration over vast timescales. Through these isotope systems, he deciphers changes in marine food webs and predator-prey dynamics from prehistoric oceans, shedding light on evolutionary and extinction processes that shaped modern marine biodiversity.
On the other hand, Kuzhelev’s work in magnetic resonance aims to tackle the longstanding challenge of low intrinsic sensitivity that plagues NMR spectroscopy, especially with dilute biomolecular samples. Dynamic nuclear polarization introduces polarized electron spins, which can transfer enhanced polarization to nuclei of interest, amplifying signal intensities and enabling detailed investigations of molecular structure and motions at physiological conditions. His efforts to miniaturize and optimize this technology herald a new era in biomolecular research, potentially transforming fields as diverse as synthetic materials development and therapeutic drug design.
Together, these projects exemplify a synthesis of disciplines—earth sciences, ecology, chemistry, and biochemistry—demonstrating that fundamental advances emerge from cross-pollination of ideas and techniques. Their outcomes are poised to impact not only academic understanding but also tangible conservation strategies and biomedical applications, reinforcing the crucial role of basic research in addressing global challenges.
As these talented researchers embark on their five-year ERC-funded investigations, their work stands as a beacon of innovation and societal relevance. The insights derived from ancient shark teeth and nanoliter biomolecular solutions will undoubtedly inspire new questions and technological approaches for years to come, catalyzing breakthroughs that resonate beyond their immediate fields.
With dedicated support from Goethe University and the European Research Council, Dr. Jeremy McCormack and Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev are not just pushing scientific boundaries—they are redrawing them. Their research embodies the quest to measure the seemingly immeasurable, from atomic isotopes locked in teeth to the fleeting conformational dances of life’s molecules, illuminating the past and enriching the future of science.
Subject of Research: Paleoecology of sharks and advanced biomolecular NMR spectroscopy using liquid-state dynamic nuclear polarization.
Image Credits: Juergen Lecher for Goethe University Frankfurt
Keywords: Life sciences, Ecology, Evolutionary ecology, Paleoecology, Earth sciences, Geology, Biochemistry, Biomolecules, Pharmacology, Structural biology, Biomolecular structure, Research methods, Spectroscopy, Physical chemistry
