Ilme Schlichting heads the Department of Biomolecular Mechanisms at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany. She studied biology and physics at Heidelberg University, where she also received her PhD. Schlichting’s research aims at understanding how proteins achieve their unique functional properties. An important question is how does a protein fine-tune the reactivity of its cofactor and of the intermediates occurring during the reaction? Key insight is obtained from high-resolution crystal structures of reaction intermediates. Schlichting pioneered such studies and provided important insight into the reaction mechanisms of a number of different systems. Her latest interests include the application of X-ray Free Electron Laser radiation for structural biology. Her work has been recognized by a number of awards.