Since more than four decades biochemist Rudolf Zechner’s research is focused on the process of lipolysis, the breakdown of fats by enzymes. His discovery of the enzyme ATGL (adipose triglyceride lipase) as main actor during the breakdown of tryglicerides in 2004 has made a significant contribution to the understanding of this process.
The current work of Professor Zechner’s team focuses on how the molecular mechanisms of lipolysis affect the pathogenesis of obesity and associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.