News

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) has elected Michael Potente of Max Delbrück Center and BIH as a new member. He is joining a community of more than 2,000 leading life scientists in Europe and beyond.

An international research team, including Achim Leutz of the Max Delbrück Center, has discovered that a specific protein controls the conversion of immune cells. If it were possible to intervene in this process, the development of cancer could be prevented.

The mucus in the airways is not as sticky, inflammation in the lungs significantly reduced: the positive effects of triple combination therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis are supported by researchers from Charité and the Max Delbrück Center in the “European Respiratory Journal”.

Multiple sclerosis progresses very differently and is therefore difficult to treat. Under the leadership of Charité, researchers at the ECRC and elsewhere are working on an online platform that predicts the course of the disease. The EU's Innovative Health Initiative is financing the project with 9,9 million euros.

The Max Delbrück Center has participated in the Berliner Wasserbetriebe relay race every summer since 2009. As part of the “We at the MDC” series, Min-Chi Ku and Tanja Butzek talk about the race and why it’s so much more than just a fun run.

Evolutionarily young miniproteins are unique in humans, and researchers have recently discovered thousands of them. Writing in Molecular Cell, Norbert Hübner and colleagues from the BIH and other institutions describe the origins of these tiny proteins and explain that they probably influence important cellular processes.

To improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the future, a European partnership is awarding more than five million euros to four international research teams. A project on the consequences of pulmonary hypertension, co-led by Gabriele G. Schiattarella, is also being funded.

Innovative biomedical research requires cutting-edge technologies, good ideas and a wealth of expertise. To ensure that technology platforms and research teams at the MDC make optimal use of investments and new equipment, Jutta Steinkötter initiated 13 “tandems” in late 2022 and awarded them a total of €300,000.

They say Berlin is a constant building site – and it seems Campus Berlin-Buch is no exception. A new foundation pit is currently being excavated for construction of the Max Delbrück Center’s Imaging Innovation Center, which is scheduled to open in 2025.

Dominik Müller investigates how lifestyle affects the molecular regulation processes in the body – such as how a high-sodium diet impacts the immune system and cardiovascular health. In doing so, he deliberately transcends the boundaries between disciplines.