News & Events

On January 1, 2021, the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) has become the translational research unit of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and will then form – alongside the hospital and the medical faculty – Charité’s third pillar.

Bone regeneration, dynamic hydrogels and the novel coronavirus – these three topics are currently being researched by MDC scientists in two new Collaborative Research Centres and as part of the COVID-19 Focus Funding initiative of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Until recently, it was unclear how and why cancer cells adapt to their environment. A team led by Dr. Gaetano Gargiulo at MDC has now developed a technology that can be used to observe the molecular processes in living cells. The researchers present their results in the journal Cancer Discovery.

Colon cancer stem cells have one weak spot: the enzyme Mll1. An MDC team led by Walter Birchmeier has now shown in Nature Communications that blocking this protein prevents the development of new tumors in the body.

More than 150 postdocs and senior Ph.D. students from across the capital joined for a virtual Berlin Science Postdoc Day to present research, build skills and network. Emmanuelle Charpentier, who shares the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was the keynote speaker.

In order for the human immune system to effectively fight off pathogens, B cells need to smash up and reassemble their own DNA. Michela Di Virgilio searches for factors controlling this important process, which also have crucial implications for our predisposition to cancer.

A life in three political systems, a scientific career promoted by Max Delbrück, a biography as a peace researcher and a debunker of conspiracy theories. Molecular biologist Erhard Geißler celebrates his 90th birthday on 17 December 2020. The MDC congratulates this inspirational colleague.

A new textbook “Computational Genomics with R” written by MDC’s Altuna Akalin will be published this month. The book aims to assist to a wide range of readers, providing both an introduction to genomics and step-by-step instructions to help biologists analyze their own datasets.

Earning your doctorate deserves a celebration. At MDC, this takes place every year in the form of a graduation ceremony. But this year, given the unprecedented situation, doctorands were awarded their diplomas in an online event.