News

For Ukrainian graduate students, it can be a struggle to balance their careers and their worries about the war and their loved ones. A profile of two Ukrainian friends who work at the Max Delbrück Center now – one year after they had to flee from Kyiv.

Chromatin factors are involved in regulating gene expression. If they do not function properly, this can result in neurological impairments. Ana Pombo and Alexander Kukalev are now receiving almost €400,000 from the DFG for a research project that aims to shed more light on how these factors work.

Hypertension can damage the heart, brain, and blood vessels. The immune system plays an important role in this process, Suphansa Sawamiphak from the Max Delbrück Center reports in Cardiovascular Research. The study, using zebrafish, found that inflammation causes macrophages to damage blood vessels instead of protecting them.

HeLa contributed to more than 75,000 studies, some of them at the Max Delbrück Center. The cell culture line is indispensable to many biomedical laboratories. But who was the woman behind this abbreviation? During Black History Month we are celebrating her legacy—and our researchers say “Thank you!”

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.

MyoPax develops regenerative therapies for previously incurable muscle diseases. An interview with co-founders Prof. Simone Spuler and Dr. Verena Schöwel-Wolf, now board member and CEO respectively

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.

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.

“Mach Ideen groß” is the theme of this year’s nationwide “Jugend forscht” competition. At Campus Berlin-Buch the young scientists presented more than 20 projects. Seven of them made it to the regional championship.

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.