AkadR. Dr. Antje Maria Richter

Dr. Antje Maria Richter
Institute for Genetics
Dammann Group
Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58
35392 Giessen
Tel: +49 641 99-35466
Fax.: +49 641 99-35469
Human Biologist, Akademische Rätin & PI
Our Projects and Events
Behind the Scenes of Our Research
Follow us for updates on our projects, our team and everyday life in the lab:

As a team, we are intensively dedicated to research into the mechanisms of gene silencing in tumours.
Our focus is on understanding the processes such as DNA hypermethylation in tumours that lead to gene inactivation, and at the same time we are looking for ways to reactivate silenced gene expression. This epigenetic activation of tumour suppressor genes is an early process in carcinogenesis. In the development of novel tools for tumour therapy, we rely on a modified CRISPR-Cas9 technology for epigenetic editing.
Our focus is on creating innovative approaches to improve the effectiveness and safety of this form of therapy. At the same time, we are researching strategies for the future clinical application of epigenetic editing. Another important research area of our team concerns the development of 3R-compliant alternative cell culture techniques for cancer research. We are committed to establishing 3D cell cultures as innovative alternatives that enable animal-free methods and at the same time increase their relevance for cancer research.
News
-
October 2026: Presenting our GeGe4Nephro project in Leipzig at the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Nephrology (DGfN), with a poster by Veit Baumann and thanks to #AnEpicTeam

-
September 2026: Landtour MENSCH.MEDIZIN in Marburg with “Red Ma Drüber” at the Cavete jazz bar. Combining fun conversations with kidney health awareness. Thank you, Vivien
-

-
September ’26: GeGe4Nephro Symposium in Giessen, #GeGe4Nephro
Our symposium brought together project partners to discuss current research findings and exchange insights into sex- and gender-specific cancer risks following kidney transplantation. -
September ’26: EpiNephroGen Summer School in Giessen
Our Summer School brought together early-career researchers and experts to explore genetics and epigenetics in kidney research. Lectures, practical sessions, and scientific discussions offered opportunities to develop methodological skills and build new connections. - Sept ’26: Lord Mayor Frank-Tilo Becher, scientist Dr. Antje Richter, and economic development officer Frank Hölscheidt open the Health XP traveling exhibition in Giessen (Science Year 2026, BMFTR).

Publications
Outreach
- What is epigenetic editing (Youtube) - Video
- Teaser epigenetic - video
- How do we work in cell culture?
- How do we extract DNA?
- Vegane Zellkultur über ICAR3R
Research and Teaching Areas
- Epigenetic regulation and function of human tumour suppressors and characterisation of tumour-relevant signalling pathways
- Plant epigenetics with a focus on DNA methylation
- Development/further development of epigenetic editing technology
- 3D cell culture models in application
Teaching biology / Teaching biology / Bioinformatics at JLU
- Summer School EpiNephroGen
- Methylome Masterclass
- Human Biology
- Genetics
- Introduction to Biomedicine (EBM)
- Supervision of doctoral students/bachelor's/master's/examination students
Current Funding / Projects
- Summer School EpiNephroGen, 14. - 18. September 2026, funded by BMFTR, Press Release
- Focus on Kidney Health in the Landtour Project; Funded by the BMFTR, Press Release
- FCMH experimental spaces, EPIC-CAM with THM and University of Marburg, testing epigenetic agents on the chicken egg model
- Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), Improved Follow-up Care for Kidney Transplant Patients Using Epigenetics
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Application of epigenetic editing for plant resistance
Completed Funding / Projects
- Hessen Hub, Linked Learning, Methylome Masterclass - Teaching project for bioinformaticians
- German Research Foundation (DFG), Epigenetics of Skin Tumours
- Forschungscampus Mittelhessen (FCMH), EPICURE
- Förderfond Nachhaltigkeit, Animal-free cell culture/vegan cell culture

