Mara Hebeis
Mara Hebeis
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Bioinorganic Chemistry Group (Prof. Dr. Span)
Egerlandstr. 1
91058 Erlangen
- Phone number: +49 9131 85-27391
- Email: mara.hebeis@fau.de
Mara earned her Master’s degree in Chemistry from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in 2023 and was awarded the Zerweck Master prize for her academic excellence. In early 2023, she joined the research group of Professor Dr. Ingrid Span, where she expanded her skillset by working in a biologically oriented laboratory, complementing her chemistry-focused studies. For her Master’s Thesis, she worked on the crystallization of the enzyme Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), a promising drug target in various diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. She crystallized HDAC6 in complex with inhibitors to gain insight into the binding modes (PDB ID: 9GGH, 9GGK). In January 2024, she began her doctoral studies, investigating the RNA-cleaving abilities of DNA enzymes (DNAzymes) as a means of combating viral infections. She produces the necessary RNA from viruses such as HIV and VHSV by in vitro transcription. In collaboration with the Fuhrmann lab, she is researching the possibilities of transporting DNAzymes using extracellular vesicles. In October 2024, she was awarded the Werner Schwarze-Stipendium by the Evonik Foundation.