Enrico Schiewer

Enrico Schiewer

Postdoctoral Researcher
enrico.schiewer@unimi.it

Department of Biosciences

Università degli Studi di Milano
Via Celoria, 26
4th Floor, Building C
20133 Milan, Italy

As an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biophysics, Enrico obtained broad expertise in both experimental and theoretical investigation of membrane proteins, making use of light spectroscopy, electrophysiology as well as molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry simulations. As an expert in the engineering of optogenetic tools from microbial rhodopsins, he shifted his focus on sonogenetics for his postdoctoral studies, using ultrasound to stimulate mechanosensitive channels (MSCs). By designing and combining acoustic technologies and sonication protocols, his work aims to deliver highly reproducable and robust protocols for ultrasound electrophysiology that will speed up the engineering of sonogenetic tools. Specifically, MSCs such as the mammalian K2P channels TREK and TRAAK are potent candidates to design depolarizing or hyperpolarizing variants for remote control of neurons in neuroscience.