Obituary for Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Hofmann

Klaus-Peter Hofmann, an internationally distinguished Biophysicist and Biochemist passed away this summer suddenly and unexpected during a bicycle tour. He is widely regarded as a pioneer to today's understanding of the general signal transmission in cell membranes and his work is considered groundbreaking for pharmaceutical drug development.

Klaus-Peter studied Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München where he received his PhD in 1973. In 1982, he was promoted to Professor of Biophysics at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. After the unification of Germany, he became director at the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité, Berlin where he stayed until his retirement. Throughout his scientific career, he published numerous papers, which included also eight publications in Nature and Science. Klaus-Peter was a member of the Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina. In 2012 he received the Aschoff-Medaille, Medizinische Gesellschaft Freiburg. From 2007 to 2008 he served as our president!

Klaus-Peters main research interest focused on the signal conversion during the visual process. Quite early, he could show that in bovine photoreceptor membranes, complex formation of rhodopsin and GTP-binding protein leads to a shift of the photoproduct equilibrium. This work had considerable influence for the GPCR research in general as rhodopsin being the first GPCR whose structure has been later determined. Klaus-Peter shifted his research to crystallography studies on rhodopsin and proteins involved in the visual cascade. In his final review, published in 2023 he and his colleague summarises the amazing properties of vision, while focussing on questions still to be resolved.

Klaus-Peter was a dedicated teacher for his students, a supportive mentor to his coworkers, and internationally highly regarded and respected by his colleagues. He is and will continue to be, sorely missed not only for the scientist he was but also for his open and friendly manner. He was inspiration and thoughtful advisor for several of us especially during his time at the biophysics institute in Freiburg in early stages of our carriers. This “Freiburg  connection” continuous than live long. We will miss the thoughtful and inspiring conversations with him.  Our thoughts are with the mourning family.

Klaus Gerwert and Martin Engelhard