Marc Kschonsak
Senior Principal Scientist, Protein Engineering and Structural Biology, Protein Sciences
I joined Genentech in 2018 as a postdoctoral fellow before transitioning to a Group Leader in the Protein Sciences Department in 2022. As a biochemist and structural biologist, I leverage structural insights and mechanistic biochemistry to tackle complex target biology across membrane, intracellular, and secreted target classes.
My lab focuses on accelerating drug discovery across multiple modalities—including small molecules, therapeutic peptides, and antibody engineering. By integrating structural determination with protein biochemistry, we aim to unlock difficult targets and advance next-generation therapeutics.
Postdoctoral Mentor
Having completed my own postdoctoral training at Genentech, I know firsthand the extraordinary opportunities this program offers for scientific growth and discovery. As a mentor, I am deeply committed to cultivating an empowering training environment where postdocs can thrive. My goal is to help them leverage Genentech’s state-of-the-art resources and vibrant collaborations, building a strong foundation for their journey toward impactful, independent scientific careers.
Featured Publication
CryoEM reveals unprecedented binding site for NaV1.7 inhibitors enabling rational design of potent hybrid inhibitors
eLife (2023)
Kschonsak M.*, Jao C. C.*, Arthur C.P., Rohou A.L., Bergeron P., Ortwine, D., McKerrall S.J., Hackos D.H., Deng L., Chen J., Dragovich P.S., Volgraf M., Wright M.R., Payandeh J.+, Ciferri C.+, Tellis J.C.+
Structural architecture of the human NALCN channelosome
Nature, 603, 180-186 (2022)
Kschonsak M., Chua H. C., Weidling C., Chakouri N., Noland C. L., Schott K., Chang T., Tam C., Patel N., Arthur C. P., Leitner A.+, Ben-Johny M.+, Ciferri C.+, Pless S. A.+, Payandeh J.+
My group combines biochemistry with single-particle cryo-EM to drive structure-guided and protein-based drug discovery. By illuminating functional states of pharmacologically relevant targets we provide structural insights and innovative protein engineering strategies to unlock challenging biology, enable drug discovery and inform therapeutic design.
Building on this technological foundation, our basic research focuses on unraveling the biochemical and structural mechanisms of membrane proteins and their associated macromolecular assemblies. We aim to understand how these intricate signaling systems operate across both reductionist models and native physiological contexts to reveal fundamental biological mechanisms.
- Genentech Inc, Postdoctoral Fellow – 2018-2021
- EMBL Heidelberg & Ruperto-Carola University Heidelberg, Germany, D.Sc. in Biology – 2017
- Ruperto-Carola University Heidelberg, Germany, M.Sc. in Molecular Biosciences – 2013
- University of Bayreuth, Germany, B.Sc. in Biochemistry – 2011