Ahrends Lab

Lipids are far more than structural components of biological membranes or reservoirs for energy storage. They constitute a highly dynamic molecular system that regulates cellular signaling, membrane organization, metabolism, inflammation, and intercellular communication. Consequently, alterations in lipid metabolism are closely linked to numerous human diseases, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, diabetes, obesity, neurodegeneration, and inflammatory disorders.

Yet, compared with genes and proteins, the lipidome remains remarkably complex and insufficiently characterized. Unlike proteins, lipids are not directly encoded by the genome. Their abundance and molecular composition emerge from the interplay of enzymes, metabolites, cellular state, diet, environmental factors, and disease. Understanding this complexity therefore requires more than simply identifying individual lipid molecules.

The Ahrends Lab develops and applies quantitative lipidomics, mass spectrometry, computational analysis, and multi-omics approaches to understand how lipid metabolism is organized and regulated across cells, tissues, and biological systems. We investigate lipids together with the proteins and enzymes that generate and modify them and the metabolites that provide their molecular building blocks.

Our goal is to move from descriptive lipid profiling toward a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of lipid biology. By integrating lipidomics with proteomics, metabolomics, computational modelling, and systems biology, we aim to uncover how lipid networks respond to physiological and pathological perturbations and to identify molecular mechanisms, biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets.

Our mission is to understand the lipidome as an integrated and dynamic component of biological systems — connecting molecular structure, metabolism, signaling, and disease.