Prof. Dr Richard Börner (Dr rer. nat.)

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Faculty Engineering Sciences

Chair of Biophotonics/Physical Engineering

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Richard Börner

Fakultät Ingenieurwissenschaften

+49 3727 581009

boerner1@hs-mittweida.de

42-109

Visitor address

Schillerstr. 10

09648 Mittweida

42-109

Postal address

Mittweida University

Fakultät Ingenieurwissenschaften

Technikumplatz 17

09648 Mittweida

Prof. Dr Richard Börner is Professor of Biophotonics/Physical Engineering at the Faculty Engineering Sciences at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences and heads the Biophotonics Research Group at the Laser Institute of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. After studying Medical Physics at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, he completed his PhD at the University of Lübeck in the field of single-molecule spectroscopy. He then conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow and later as head of a sub-group specialising in single-molecule FRET at the University of Zurich.

Richard Börner has been working at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences since 2019. His research combines single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, FRET-based structural biology, laser measurement technology, instrument development and computer-aided data analysis. A particular focus is on the investigation of biomolecular structures and dynamics, especially of RNA, as well as on the development of new Biophotonics measurement and analysis methods.
In his teaching and research, he bridges the gap between physics, photonics, biophysics and applied engineering. His research group develops experimental and data-driven methods for modern fluorescence microscopy, single-molecule measurements and Biophotonics applications.

What we’re working on

Teaching responsibilities and areas of research

A physicist by profession, Richard Börner’s research focuses on the dynamic process by which a linear RNA molecule, following synthesis, assumes its specific, functional three-dimensional structure – the kinetics of RNA folding. In doing so, he utilises a wide variety of microscopy techniques to visualise movements and changes, and to apply the findings in a targeted manner. His research group reports on the latest progress in the development of the MASH-FRET software package for analysing single-molecule videos on GitHub: github.com/RNA-FRETools/MASH-FRET.

Career

2019

Appointment

Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

since August 2016

Habilitation

University of Zurich

2013–2016

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Zurich

2007 to 2012

PhD

University of Lübeck

2005–2006

undergraduate student

Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology,
University Hospital of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

2001–2007

Degree course

Medical Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
; Graduate in Medical Physics (Dipl. Phys. (med.))

2001

A-levels

Olbernhau Grammar School

since October 2019

Appointment to the Chair of Biophotonics / Physical Engineering, Faculty Engineering Sciences, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

June 2018 – April 2019

Visiting Researcher, Institute of Physics, University of Lübeck
Group Leader: Prof. Christian G. Hübner (Physics and Biophysics)

August 2016 – September 2019

Research Fellow (permanent position), Institute of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
. Group Leader: Prof. Roland K.O. Sigel (Bioinorganic Chemistry)

March 2014 – September 2019

Head of the Single-Molecule FRET Studies (smFRET) Group on Ribonucleic Acids (RNA), Institute of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland

March 2013 – July 2016

Research Assistant, Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Group Leader: Prof. Roland K.O. Sigel (Bioinorganic Chemistry)

July 2007 – January 2013

Research Assistant, PhD student, Institute of Physics, University of Lübeck
Group leader: Prof. Christian G. Hübner (Physics and Biophysics)

September 2007 – August 2008

Lecturer (Fundamentals of Physics), Lübeck University of Applied Sciences

September 2001 – June 2007

Student assistant and research assistant (various), Institute of Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

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Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is a forward-looking, cosmopolitan institution. Its teaching and research programmes are carried out through regional and national partnerships, as well as in collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises in Saxony.

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Projects

VIVA-SAX: Validierung einer 96-Wellplatten-Implementierung

Term: 2026/08/01 – 2026/10/31
Financed by: Europäischer Fonds für Regionale Entwicklung (EFRE)
Funding code: 100760048
Project managers: Richard Börner

WIR-DIANA-Education for Point of Care Technology

Term: 2025/10/01 – 2028/03/31
Financed by: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Funding code: 03WIR7312B
Project managers: Richard Börner
Project partners:
- Technische Universität Chemnitz
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik IWU
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Zelltherapie und Immunologie IZI

VIVA-SAX: Validierung einer KHZ-Lasersteuerung

Term: 2025/06/01 – 2026/05/31
Financed by: Europäischer Fonds für Regionale Entwicklung (EFRE)
Funding code: 100760048
Project managers: Richard Börner

RNA Dynamik mithilfe von smFRET und nsFCS aufklären und in hybride RNA Strukturmodelle integrieren (RNAdyn)

Term: 2024/03/01 – 2028/02/28
Financed by: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Funding code: 537331625
Project managers: Richard Börner

Innovationscluster HSMW 2023, AP03: Integration der kHz und MHz Steuerung in ein modulares Fluoreszenzlesegerät

Term: 2023/04/01 – 2026/12/31
Financed by: Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft, Kultur und Tourismus
Funding code: 100685484
Project managers: Richard Börner

Publications

V. Reimann, V. Schumann, P. Lehmann, J. Meitzner, L. Reuss, R. Börner

Combining UV-vis Absorption and FRET melting curves to screen the thermodynamic stability and folding pathways of NAs in vitro

Appeared in: RNA Spectroscopy. Methods and Protocols, 2026, P. 137 – 152

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-5084-4_9

F. Erichson, F. Steffen, R. Börner

FAMP: A Software Framework for FRET-Based Integrative Modeling of RNA

Appeared in: Methods in Molecular Biology 3004 (2026), P. 19 – 40

ISBN: 978-1-0716-5083-7

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-5084-4_2

PMID: 41478898

M. Weber, F. Erichson, M. Antczak, V. Schumann, J. Meitzner, T. Zok, F. Steffen, M. Szachniuk, R. Börner

FRET-guided selection of RNA 3D structures

Appeared in: Nucleic Acids Research 54 (2026), P. gkag147

DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkag147

R. Börner, R. Sigel, N. Lindlar, M. Zhao, E. Freisinger

Site-Specific Dual-Color Labeling of Long RNAs

Appeared in: Methods in Molecular Biology, 2026

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-5372-2_16

M. Weber, F. Erichson, M. Antczak, T. Zok, F. Steffen, M. Szachniuk, R. Börner

FRET-guided selection of RNA 3D structures

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