Focus on viruses: Paula Leupold talks about Ebola, West Nile virus, and more on the podcast

An international consortium, which includes the Hübner and Ohler Labs, has reported in ​“Nature,” discovering more than 1,700 proteins that may be relevant in human diseases. Mostly very small, they were found in the ​“dark proteome,” a catalogue of gene products from overlooked sections of DNA. 

Researchers at the the Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité and the Max Delbrück Center have identified a unique metabolic fingerprint in the hearts of patients with HFpEF and obesity. The findings, which were published in ​“Cardiovascular Research,” point to new drug targets. 

The work of researchers is becoming more complex, but the way we evaluate it has not changed much. At the Max Delbrück Center, we have taken on a pioneering role in establishing new criteria. An interview with Chiara Giacomelli on transformation, collaboration, and why small steps matter. 

In 2025, researchers at the Max Delbrück Center and its partner institutions used almost one-third fewer research animals than in the previous year – a total of 23,878. The center has submitted the figures to the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs.