Publications

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11 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 11

Abstract (Expand)

Effective, unbiased, high-throughput methods to functionally identify both class II and class I HLA–presented T cell epitopes and their cognate T cell receptors (TCRs) are essential for and prerequisite to diagnostic and therapeutic applications, yet remain underdeveloped. Here, we present T-FINDER [T cell Functional Identification and (Neo)-antigen Discovery of Epitopes and Receptors], a system to rapidly deconvolute CD4 and CD8 TCRs and targets physiologically processed and presented by an individual’s unmanipulated, complete human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype. Combining a highly sensitive TCR signaling reporter with an antigen processing system to overcome previously undescribed limitations to target expression, T-FINDER both robustly identifies unknown peptide:HLA ligands from antigen libraries and rapidly screens and functionally validates the specificity of large TCR libraries against known or predicted targets. To demonstrate its capabilities, we apply the platform to multiple TCR-based applications, including diffuse midline glioma, celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, providing unique biological insights and showcasing T-FINDER’s potency and versatility.

Authors: Miray Cetin, Veronica Pinamonti, Theresa Schmid, Tamara Boschert, Ana Mellado Fuentes, Kristina Kromer, Taga Lerner, Jing Zhang, Yonatan Herzig, Christopher Ehlert, Miguel Hernandez-Hernandez, Georgios Samaras, Claudia Maldonado Torres, Laura Fisch, Valeriia Dragan, Arlette Kouwenhoven, Bertrand Van Schoubroeck, Hans Wils, Carl Van Hove, Michael Platten, Edward W. Green, Frederik Stevenaert, Nathan J. Felix, John M. Lindner

Date Published: 2nd Feb 2024

Publication Type: Journal

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Christopher Ehlert, Anna Piras, Ganna Gryn’ova

Date Published: 3rd Oct 2023

Publication Type: Journal

Abstract (Expand)

Heteroatom-doped polyaromatic hydrocarbons (or nanographenes) are promising molecular electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, we use density functional theory to investigate the first step of the ORR pathway (chemisorption) for a set of molecules with experimentally determined catalytic activities. Weak chemisorption is found for only negatively charged catalysts, and a strong correlation is observed between the computed electron affinities and experimental catalytic activities for a range of B- and B,N-doped polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The electron affinity is put forward as a simple activity descriptor of charged (activated) catalysts on an electrode.

Authors: Christopher Ehlert, Anna Piras, Juliette Schleicher, Ganna Gryn’ova

Date Published: 19th Jan 2023

Publication Type: Journal

Abstract (Expand)

The conversion of photon energy into other energetic forms in molecules is accompanied by charge moving on ultrafast timescales. We directly observe the charge motion at a specific site in an electronically excited molecule using time-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TR-XPS). We extend the concept of static chemical shift from conventional XPS by the excited-state chemical shift (ESCS), which is connected to the charge in the framework of a potential model. This allows us to invert TR-XPS spectra to the dynamic charge at a specific atom. We demonstrate the power of TR-XPS by using sulphur 2p-core-electron-emission probing to study the UV-excited dynamics of 2-thiouracil. The method allows us to discover that a major part of the population relaxes to the molecular ground state within 220–250 fs. In addition, a 250-fs oscillation, visible in the kinetic energy of the TR-XPS, reveals a coherent exchange of population among electronic states.

Authors: D. Mayer, F. Lever, D. Picconi, J. Metje, S. Alisauskas, F. Calegari, S. Düsterer, C. Ehlert, R. Feifel, M. Niebuhr, B. Manschwetus, M. Kuhlmann, T. Mazza, M. S. Robinson, R. J. Squibb, A. Trabattoni, M. Wallner, P. Saalfrank, T. J. A. Wolf, M. Gühr

Date Published: 1st Dec 2022

Publication Type: Journal

Abstract (Expand)

CO oxidation on Ru(0001) is a long-standing example of a reaction that, being thermally forbidden in ultrahigh vacuum, can be activated by femtosecond laser pulses. In spite of its relevance, the precise dynamics of the photoinduced oxidation process as well as the reasons behind the dominant role of the competing CO photodesorption remain unclear. Here we use ab initio molecular dynamics with electronic friction that account for the highly excited and nonequilibrated system created by the laser to investigate both reactions. Our simulations successfully reproduce the main experimental findings: the existence of photoinduced oxidation and desorption, the large desorption to oxidation branching ratio, and the changes in the O K-edge X-ray absorption spectra attributed to the initial stage of the oxidation process. Now, we are able to monitor in detail the ultrafast CO desorption and CO oxidation occurring in the highly excited system and to disentangle what causes the unexpected inertness to the otherwise energetically favored oxidation.

Authors: Auguste Tetenoire, Christopher Ehlert, J. I. Juaristi, Peter Saalfrank, M. Alducin

Date Published: 15th Sep 2022

Publication Type: Journal

Abstract (Expand)

The potential energy surfaces of 15 tetrahedral p-block element hydrides were screened on the multireference level. It was addressed whether stereoinversion competes against other reactions, such as reductive H2-elimination or hydride loss, and if so, along which pathway the stereomutation occurs. Importantly, stereoinversion transition structures for the ammonium cation (C4v) and the tetrahydridoborate anion (Cs) were identified for the first time. Revisiting methane’s Cs symmetric inversion transition structure with the mHEAT+ protocol revealed an activation enthalpy for stereoinversion, in contrast to all earlier studies, which is 5 kJ mol−1 below the C–H bond dissociation enthalpy. Square planar structures were identified lowest in energy only for the inversion of AlH4−, but a novel stepwise Cs-inversion was discovered for SiH4 or PH4+. Overall, the present contribution delineates essentials of the potential energy surfaces of p-block element hydrides, while structure–energy relations offer design principles for the synthetically emerging field of structurally constrained compounds.

Authors: Lukas M. Sigmund, Christopher Ehlert, Ganna Gryn’ova, Lutz Greb

Date Published: 21st May 2022

Publication Type: Journal

Abstract (Expand)

The present work describes the reaction of triplet dioxygen with the porphyrinogenic calix[4]pyrrolato aluminates to alkylperoxido aluminates in high selectivity. Multiconfigurational quantum chemical computations disclose the mechanism for this spin-forbidden process. Despite a negligible spin–orbit coupling constant, the intersystem crossing (ISC) is facilitated by singlet and triplet state degeneracy and spin–vibronic coupling. The formed peroxides are stable toward external substrates but undergo an unprecedented oxidative pyrrole α-cleavage by ligand aromatization/dearomatization-initiated O−O σ-bond scission. A detailed comparison of the calix[4]pyrrolato aluminates with dioxygen-related enzymology provides insights into the ISC of metal- or cofactor-free enzymes. It substantiates the importance of structural constraint and element–ligand cooperativity for the functions of aerobic life.

Authors: Lukas Maximilian Sigmund, Christopher Ehlert, Markus Enders, Jürgen Graf, Ganna Gryn'ova, Lutz Greb

Date Published: 5th Jul 2021

Publication Type: Journal

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