Beckmann Lab - Structural Biology of the Ribosome

Research Topics

Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Quality Control and mRNA Surveillance
Protein Targeting and Translocation
Ribosome Biogenesis

Prof. Roland Beckmann

phone: +49 (0)89 - 2180 76900
r.beckmann@lmu.de

Assistant: Gudrun Römer

phone: +49 (0)89 - 2180 76901
gudrun.roemer@lmu.de

The ribosome serves, apart from its function in translation, as platform for various regulatory processes which are at the center of our research. Here, we focus on understanding molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation, mRNA surveillance and ribosome quality control, co-translational targeting and translocation of proteins to and across a target membrane and assembly of the 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits using cryo-EM. Read more...

Selected Publications

ZAK activation at the collided ribosome.
Huso VL, Niu S, Catipovic MA, Saba JA, Denk T, Park E, Cheng J, Berninghausen O, Becker T, Green* R, Beckmann* R. *: corresponding
Nature. 2025 Nov 19. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09772-8. Online ahead of print. PubMed

H/ACA snR30 snoRNP guides independent 18S rRNA subdomain formation.
Fischer P, Thoms M, Lau B, Denk T, Kuvshinova M, Berninghausen O, Flemming D, Hurt E, Beckmann R.
Nat Commun. 2025 May 21;16(1):4720. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59656-8. PubMed

UFM1 E3 ligase promotes recycling of 60S ribosomal subunits from the ER.
DaRosa PA, Penchev I, Gumbin SC, Scavone F, Wąchalska M, Paulo JA, Ordureau A, Peter JJ, Kulathu Y, Harper JW, Becker T, Beckmann R, Kopito RR.
Nature. 2024 February 21;627(8003):445-452. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07073-0. PubMed

Structural basis for the final steps of human 40S ribosome maturation.
Ameismeier M, Zemp I, van den Heuvel J, Thoms M, Berninghausen O, Kutay U, Beckmann R.
Nature. 2020 Nov 18. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2929-x. PubMed

The Ccr4-Not complex monitors the translating ribosome for codon optimality.
Buschauer R, Matsuo Y, Sugiyama T, Chen YH, Alhusaini N, Sweet T, Ikeuchi K, Cheng J, Matsuki Y, Nobuta R, Gilmozzi A, Berninghausen O, Tesina P, Becker T, Coller J, Inada T, Beckmann R.
Science. 2020 Apr 17;368(6488). pii: eaay6912. doi: 10.1126/science.aay6912. PubMed