News & Events

Transforming the loud knocking sounds of MRI scanners into techno music to make the procedure more pleasant is the goal of artist Johanna Barnbeck’s and Max Delbrück Center’s Thoralf Niendorf’s science communication project, which is being funded by the Stiftung Charité with approximately €100,000.

Researchers in the Mina Gouti lab show in ​“Advanced Science” that electrical pulse stimulation helps human neuromuscular organoids mature. This non-invasive approach may make it possible to use organoid models to study adult-onset diseases and to gain a better understanding of how tissues mature. 

Humboldt Research Award winner and biochemist Filip Van Petegem will spend six months as a guest researcher in Misha Kudryashev’s lab. An expert in ion channels, he will study them inside intact cells using advanced cryo-electron tomography. 

A quiz hosted by the Finance Department, a behind-the-scenes tour of the biobank, and a relaxed lunch on the lawn — Summer Science Day 2026 offered something for everyone. The event brought together employees from across the Max Delbrück Center and offered inspiring glimpses of the center’s future. 

Researchers led by Ana Pombo have found that just one exposure to the drug can create changes in mouse brain cells that persist for at least two weeks. Their findings were presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum on July 7, 2026. 

Altuna Akalin has been appointed a professorship at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The position will enable closer collaboration with clinicians and faster application of bioinformatics in clinical care. 

The European Molecular Biology Organization has elected Holger Gerhardt and Norbert Hübner of the Max Delbrück Center to its membership. They will join a community of more than 2,200 leading life scientists who advise the organization and help shape the future of life science research. 

Katja Simon in collaboration with researchers in the United Kingdom have shown in ​“Aging Cell” that the naturally occurring compound spermidine can help boost vaccine response in older adults by reducing molecular markers of immune system ageing. 

Uwe Ohler and Gaetano Gargiulo have been awarded prestigious ERC Advanced Grants. With funding of €2.5 million each, they will spend the next five years investigating how protein synthesis is regulated and identifying vulnerabilities in pediatric brain tumors.