Julia Toplak

Position: MSc student

Hometown: Prelog, Croatia

Freetime favourites: art and reading

I’m currently pursuing a master's degree in molecular biology at the University of Zagreb, having previously obtained my BSc degree from the same university. My interest in the fascinating world of structural biology began early on in my studies, and I have been intrigued by the mechanisms that enable the functioning of complex protein machinery. Specifically, I am interested in the processes that are crucial for maintaining a functional proteome, and my previous internships have allowed me to study the biochemistry of aminoacyl-tRNA ligases and proteasome regulation, important components of the protein quality control network. I’m excited that for my master thesis project, I became part of the Lorenz group to explore another key player in the maintenance of proteostasis, the HECT E3 ligases.