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Gut bacteria and their metabolites protect organs from the effects of hypertension – this was discovered by Dr. Hendrik Bartolomaeus in collaboration with four labs at the ECRC . For this achievement, the early career scientist is now being awarded the Walter Siegenthaler Medal in silver.

For the first time ever, the Forschungsverbund Berlin confers the Marthe Vogt Award on not one but two young female scientists: biochemist Dr. Sabrina Geisberger of the MDC and physicist Dr. Vittoria Sposini.

Are prototype vaccines key to prepare for future pandemics? And how does an infection with SARS-CoV-2 impact the cardiovascular health of patients? Together with partners, the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) is hosting panel discussions on COVID-19 at World Health Summit (video) and Berlin Science Week.

Cancer immunologist Lydia Dyck has started her Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the MDC. Her goal is to find new ways for the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, as tumors often evade the body’s defense mechanisms.

Viruses come and go – most of the time, at least. Some, however, stay around forever. A team led by Markus Landthaler at the MDC intends to find out what enables viruses to set up home permanently in a host, as part of the DFG Research Unit DEEP-DV.

It is widely agreed that animals used in research deserve special protection. In a commentary published in the journal Animals, scientists and animal welfare officers from Berlin are now asking for the official guidance on implementing EU directive 2010/63/EU to be revised, because they believe the current instructions hinder research and do not help the animals.

A young Berlin-based company called T-knife is a rising star in Germany’s biotech sector. Co-founder Dr. Elisa Kieback, along with colleagues, has catapulted the joint spin-off from the MDC and Charité to the top of the German biotech start-up universe.

How can we use the knowledge gained so far to better overcome the COVID-19 crisis and prevent future pandemics? Two MDC labs are taking part in a collaborative Helmholtz project that aims to answer this question from an immunological, virological and economic perspective.

Small changes of sodium in the blood reduce the amount of energy produced in the mitochondria – the power plants of our cells. This has consequences for immune cells. An international research team has discovered the mechanism behind this phenomenon and published their findings in the journal "Circulation".

What side effects should I expect from the vaccines against the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus? Have they been developed too fast? To support a factual debate, our experts from the fields of immunology and RNA biology answered frequently asked questions.