News

Marie Burns brings science to life at the Max Delbrück Center, collaborating closely with researchers. She shares her journey and aspirations in the field of science communication in an interview for "We at MDC."

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.

Regulatory T cells ensure that immune responses happen in a controlled way. But eating too much salt weakens these cells’ energy supply, thus rendering them dysfunctional for a while. This may have implications for autoimmunity, an international team – including Dominik Müller – reports in “Cell Metabolism.”

Biochemist Sabrina Geisberger researches the effects of salt consumption on our health at the Max Delbrück Center. We asked her five questions.

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.

The new edition of the MDC’s “Lab Meets Teacher – Digital” further education program begins in September. The eight online LMT training sessions will give teachers insights into the latest research topics and methods – such as single-cell analysis, which is expected to deliver new understanding of disease processes.

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".

Whether it’s in biology, chemistry or bioinformatics, research is developing at a rapid pace. To help science teachers stay up to date in their fields, the MDC created the special further education program Lab Meets Teacher – offered in both digital and analog formats. Luiza Bengtsson and Zoe Ingram explain why the program is so beneficial for teachers, students and researchers alike.

When virologists become reality TV stars, biologists dream of life without illness, researchers debate organoids vs. animal testing with the general public, and biomedical scientists discuss the possibilities of AI, it can only be Berlin Science Week. This year, the MDC is holding a number of virtual events.

Is it possible to grow organs in a petri dish? How does CRISPR gene editing work? What happens at the cellular level when SARS-CoV-2 infects the body? Our new online further education format “Lab meets teacher – digital!” enables teachers to gain an in-depth understanding of current research issues like these.