Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine

Our body’s cells are constantly changing. But which of these changes are healthy developments and which lead to serious diseases? This is what LifeTime, a new transnational and interdisciplinary initiative of leading European researchers, aims to discover. The consortium is jointly coordinated by the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin and the Institut Curie in Paris, with the Helmholtz Association and the CNRS. It has now cleared an important hurdle: LifeTime will be given one million euros and one year to develop a plan to embed its vision for a healthier future within the European research and innovation landscape.

The U.S. journal Science has chosen single-cell analysis as the Breakthrough of the Year. A major international hot spot for the revolutionary technology is the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin. The European consortium LifeTime, which is coordinated from Berlin and Paris, intends to focus on this new approach.

Scientists have found a way to switch specific neurons on and off with a laser beam. An international research team used this technique to study how the zebrafish brain responds when external stimuli trigger a certain behavior. This work, which has been published in Nature Methods, will be continued at the MDC.

The fatty acid propionate helps defend against the effects of high blood pressure, including atherosclerosis and heart tissue remodeling, a study on mice has found. Gut bacteria produce the substance – which calms the immune cells that drive up blood pressure – from natural dietary fiber.

Chess and cancer research have one thing in common: One must act strategically to defeat the opponent. And that’s exactly what scientists at the MDC are doing. They are seeking to selectively make only those cancer cells aggressive that would otherwise evade chemotherapy – and then lure them into a trap.

Breaks in our DNA are usually undesirable – unless the immune system is at work. A new study conducted by Michela Di Virgilio’s research group and published in „Molecular Cell“ shows how creatively and yet precisely cells can break up their genetic material and piece it back together.

Power imbalances and dependencies make it difficult to discuss lab conflicts. This is especially the case for PhD students. At the Max Delbrück Center, Matthias Selbach serves as their ombudsman. His advice is to seek help early on. This interview kicks off our “We at the MDC” series.