Shuo Wang was awarded the 2025 Bürkert University Prize for her dissertation
Dr. Shuo Wang received the Bürkert University Prize of the University of Stuttgart for her doctoral research, which she completed in the Department of Biophysics at the IBBS in 2023. The prize was awarded on November 28, 2025, during the University’s Academic Year Celebration . Her doctoral work was supervised by Prof. Dr. Stephan Nussberger, and focused on protein translocation through the mitochondrial outer membrane complex TOM, the gatekeeper for the majority of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins entering mitochondria. The prize is sponsored by the Christian and Dorothee Bürkert Foundation .
The Bürkert University Prize – formerly the "Friends of the University Prize" – is the University of Stuttgart’s highest distinction for PhD research. It recognizes exceptional achievements that address fundamental scientific questions and extend the frontiers of knowledge. Each year, three doctoral dissertations are honored, along with the most outstanding theses from the various faculties. The award supports young talents who stand out in scientific excellence and strong commitment and is endowed with 5,000 euros each.
Dr. Shuo Wang’s dissertation revealed new and until now unknown dynamic properties of the TOM complex using high-resolution single-molecule TIRF microscopy . Dr. Wang discovered that the mobility of TOM within its enviroment is functionally crucial: when the lateral mobility within the membrane is restricted, the protein translocation channels close, thereby preventing protein import. This new mechanosensitive behavior represents the first description of a mechanosensitive β-barrel porin and may have far-reaching implications for our understanding of mitochondrial biogenesis.
The results of Shuo Wang's dissertation (Spatiotemporal stop-and-go dynamics of the mitochondrial TOM core complex correlates with channel activity) have been published in leading journals. Recent work involving molecular-dynamics simulations support the hypotheses of Dr. Wang's thesis. Additional information about Dr. Wang’s research and scientific achievements can be found on her alumna website .
Impressions from the award ceremony are available from the University of Stuttgart’s press office .
