News

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have an altered gut microbiome composition and produce less of a certain fatty acid. This was reported by a team of researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the MDC and the ECRC in Cell. Their findings show that propionic acid might be relevant for MS immunotherapy.

Single cell technologies for Personalized Medicine – The Berlin Institute of Health (BIH ), the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin are launching a joint research initiative.

By mid-2020 two new cryogenic electron microscopes (cryo-EM) will be available to scientists at the Buch campus. The building is almost finished, and the first crates of equipment were delivered in December. There’s still a lot to do, however, before everything is up and running.

The human body hosts myriads of microbial ecosystems. Their diversity is shaped by our living conditions and habits, and in turn they are shaping our wellbeing. At the World Health Summit, international experts will explore where microbiome research intersects with unmet medical needs and how to devise preventative health policies.

How exactly does gut bacteria affect our health? This is what the Swedish bioinformatician Sofia Forslund is trying to figure out. She also wants to develop a software that helps keep people from getting sick.

What comes after my PhD, and how will my title help me? Not just at the MDC, young researchers are asking this question. The Career Day offers them opportunities to receive inspiration and pointers for their career planning.

For the “International Day of Girls and Women in Science” on 11 February 2019, the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH ) presents ten video portraits of inspirational women scientists. Among them are four videos about scientists working at the MDC.

For eight years now, Dr. Christiane Nolte has been the Women’s Representative at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC). She is especially committed to increasing career opportunities, raising the profile of female scientists, and improving work-family balance.

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.

Amani Said about her unusual career path and her involvement in ScienceMatters, a publishing platform based on the principles of Open Science.