World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Nikolaus Pfanner

Nikolaus Pfanner

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Biology and Biochemistry
Germany
2026
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Molecular Biology
Germany
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Molecular Biology

D-Index
140
Citations
54709
World Ranking
130
National Ranking
8

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
140
Citations
54712
World Ranking
278
National Ranking
19

Nikolaus Pfanner publication distribution in Molecular Biology in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Molecular Biology in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Nikolaus Pfanner sits on this spectrum.

47–56 publications: 7 scientists 57–66 publications: 17 scientists 67–76 publications: 65 scientists 77–86 publications: 90 scientists 87–96 publications: 125 scientists 97–106 publications: 131 scientists 107–116 publications: 162 scientists 117–126 publications: 177 scientists 127–136 publications: 158 scientists 137–146 publications: 158 scientists 147–156 publications: 146 scientists 157–166 publications: 159 scientists 167–176 publications: 131 scientists 177–186 publications: 110 scientists 187–196 publications: 112 scientists 197–206 publications: 100 scientists 207–216 publications: 89 scientists 217–226 publications: 98 scientists 227–236 publications: 74 scientists 237–246 publications: 72 scientists 247–256 publications: 63 scientists 257–266 publications: 53 scientists 267–276 publications: 54 scientists 277–286 publications: 49 scientists 287–296 publications: 52 scientists 297–306 publications: 43 scientists 307–316 publications: 46 scientists 317–326 publications: 41 scientists 327–336 publications: 42 scientists 337–346 publications: 31 scientists 347–356 publications: 28 scientists 357–366 publications: 29 scientists 367–376 publications: 26 scientists 377–386 publications: 24 scientists 387–396 publications: 24 scientists 397–406 publications: 14 scientists 407–416 publications: 13 scientists 417–426 publications: 20 scientists 427–436 publications: 12 scientists 437–446 publications: 20 scientists 447–456 publications: 11 scientists 457–466 publications: 10 scientists 467–476 publications: 14 scientists 477–486 publications: 14 scientists 487–496 publications: 10 scientists 497–506 publications: 13 scientists 507–516 publications: 13 scientists 517–526 publications: 2 scientists 527–536 publications: 4 scientists 537–546 publications: 6 scientists 547–556 publications: 8 scientists 557–563 publications: 6 scientists 564+ publications: 100 scientists
47 publications 564+

This scientist: 365 publications — 88th percentile

88% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 564 publications or more.

Nikolaus Pfanner D-index placement in Molecular Biology in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Molecular Biology scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Nikolaus Pfanner sits on this spectrum.

40–41 D-Index: 36 scientists 42–43 D-Index: 101 scientists 44–45 D-Index: 115 scientists 46–47 D-Index: 121 scientists 48–49 D-Index: 118 scientists 50–51 D-Index: 130 scientists 52–53 D-Index: 106 scientists 54–55 D-Index: 116 scientists 56–57 D-Index: 113 scientists 58–59 D-Index: 129 scientists 60–61 D-Index: 120 scientists 62–63 D-Index: 105 scientists 64–65 D-Index: 131 scientists 66–67 D-Index: 95 scientists 68–69 D-Index: 97 scientists 70–71 D-Index: 106 scientists 72–73 D-Index: 83 scientists 74–75 D-Index: 89 scientists 76–77 D-Index: 77 scientists 78–79 D-Index: 70 scientists 80–81 D-Index: 73 scientists 82–83 D-Index: 60 scientists 84–85 D-Index: 48 scientists 86–87 D-Index: 45 scientists 88–89 D-Index: 50 scientists 90–91 D-Index: 31 scientists 92–93 D-Index: 51 scientists 94–95 D-Index: 43 scientists 96–97 D-Index: 38 scientists 98–99 D-Index: 39 scientists 100–101 D-Index: 41 scientists 102–103 D-Index: 29 scientists 104–105 D-Index: 33 scientists 106–107 D-Index: 35 scientists 108–109 D-Index: 20 scientists 110–111 D-Index: 38 scientists 112–113 D-Index: 19 scientists 114–115 D-Index: 28 scientists 116–117 D-Index: 13 scientists 118–119 D-Index: 23 scientists 120–121 D-Index: 16 scientists 122–123 D-Index: 15 scientists 124–125 D-Index: 11 scientists 126–127 D-Index: 21 scientists 128–129 D-Index: 7 scientists 130–131 D-Index: 13 scientists 132–133 D-Index: 14 scientists 134–135 D-Index: 17 scientists 136–137 D-Index: 9 scientists 138–139 D-Index: 8 scientists 140–141 D-Index: 16 scientists 142–143 D-Index: 7 scientists 144 D-Index: 7 scientists 145+ D-Index: 100 scientists
40 D-Index 145+

This scientist: 140 D-Index — 96th percentile

96% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 145 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in Germany Leader Award
  • 2026 - Research.com Molecular Biology in Germany Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in Germany Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in Germany Leader Award
  • 2005 - Member of Academia Europaea
  • 2000 - German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina - Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Biochemistry and Biophysics
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Overview

Nikolaus Pfanner is affiliated with the University of Freiburg in Germany and works primarily in the fields of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology. Their research focuses significantly on Molecular Biology, with additional contributions in Clinical Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Spectroscopy, and Materials Chemistry.

The main topics addressed in their work include:

  • Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • ATP Synthase and ATPases Research
  • Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
  • RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
  • RNA modifications and cancer
  • Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Disease

Frequent co-authors collaborating with Nikolaus Pfanner include Thomas Becker, Nils Wiedemann, Heike Rampelt, Caroline Lindau, and Patrick Horten.

They have published extensively in several scientific venues, with multiple publications in Cell Reports, Nature, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics, and Cell Metabolism.

Recent papers associated with Pfanner cover various aspects of mitochondrial biology and protein transport. Some of these publications are:

  • "Quantitative high-confidence human mitochondrial proteome and its dynamics in cellular context," 2021, Cell Metabolism
  • "Shaping the mitochondrial inner membrane in health and disease," 2020, Journal of Internal Medicine
  • "Mitochondrial complexome reveals quality-control pathways of protein import," 2023, Nature
  • "Mitochondrial protein transport: Versatility of translocases and mechanisms," 2023, Molecular Cell
  • "Mitochondrial sorting and assembly machinery operates by β-barrel switching," 2021, Nature

The scientist's work is recognized through membership in prestigious organizations and academies, including the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (noted for Biochemistry and Biophysics), the Academia Europaea since 2005, and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Best Publications

  • Importing Mitochondrial Proteins: Machineries and Mechanisms

    Agnieszka Chacinska;Carla M Koehler;Dusanka Milenkovic;Trevor James Lithgow

  • The proteome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria

    Albert Sickmann;Jörg Reinders;Yvonne Wagner;Cornelia Joppich

  • Requirement for hsp70 in the mitochondrial matrix for translocation and folding of precursor proteins.

    Pil-Jung Kang;Joachim Ostermann;Joachim Ostermann;Jeffery Shilling;Walter Neupert

  • Mitochondrial Machineries for Protein Import and Assembly.

    Nils Wiedemann;Nikolaus Pfanner

  • Mitochondrial protein import.

    Franz-Ulrich Hartl;Nikolaus Pfanner;Donald W. Nicholson;Walter Neupert

  • Mitochondrial proteins: from biogenesis to functional networks

    Nikolaus Pfanner;Bettina Warscheid;Nils Wiedemann

  • Mitochondrial protein import: from proteomics to functional mechanisms

    Oliver Schmidt;Nikolaus Pfanner;Chris Meisinger

  • Versatility of the mitochondrial protein import machinery

    Nikolaus Pfanner;Andreas Geissler

  • Tom40 forms the hydrophilic channel of the mitochondrial import pore for preproteins

    Kerstin Hill;Kirstin Model;Michael T. Ryan;Klaus Dietmeier

  • Global Analysis of the Mitochondrial N-Proteome Identifies a Processing Peptidase Critical for Protein Stability

    F-Nora Vögtle;Stefanie Wortelkamp;René P Zahedi;Dorothea Becker;Dorothea Becker

  • Essential role of Mia40 in import and assembly of mitochondrial intermembrane space proteins.

    Agnieszka Chacinska;Sylvia Pfannschmidt;Nils Wiedemann;Vera Kozjak

  • Role of an energized inner membrane in mitochondrial protein import. Delta psi drives the movement of presequences.

    J. Martin;K. Mahlke;N. Pfanner

  • Absence of cardiolipin in the crd1 null mutant results in decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced mitochondrial function

    Feng Jiang;Michael T. Ryan;Michael Schlame;Ming Zhao

  • Machinery for protein sorting and assembly in the mitochondrial outer membrane

    Nils Wiedemann;Vera Kozjak;Agnieszka Chacinska;Birgit Schönfisch

  • Toward the complete yeast mitochondrial proteome: multidimensional separation techniques for mitochondrial proteomics.

    Joerg Reinders;René P. Zahedi;Nikolaus Pfanner;Chris Meisinger

  • The protein import machinery of mitochondria.

    Nils Wiedemann;Ann E. Frazier;Nikolaus Pfanner

  • Dual Role of Mitofilin in Mitochondrial Membrane Organization and Protein Biogenesis

    Karina von der Malsburg;Judith M. Müller;Maria Bohnert;Silke Oeljeklaus

  • Mitochondrial import and the twin-pore translocase

    Peter Rehling;Katrin Brandner;Nikolaus Pfanner

  • Mitochondrial presequence translocase: switching between TOM tethering and motor recruitment involves Tim21 and Tim17.

    Agnieszka Chacinska;Maria Lind;Maria Lind;Ann E. Frazier;Jan Dudek

  • Mitochondrial protein import

    Nikolaus Pfanner;Harald K. Müller;Matthew A. Harmey;Walter Neupert

Frequent Co-Authors

Chris Meisinger
Chris Meisinger University of Freiburg
Nils Wiedemann
Nils Wiedemann University of Freiburg
Bernard Guiard
Bernard Guiard Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS
Walter Neupert
Walter Neupert Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
Martin van der Laan
Martin van der Laan Saarland University
Peter Rehling
Peter Rehling University of Göttingen
Agnieszka Chacinska
Agnieszka Chacinska IMol Polish Academy of Sciences
Thomas Becker
Thomas Becker Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Wolfgang Voos
Wolfgang Voos University of Bonn
Michael T. Ryan
Michael T. Ryan University of Sydney

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