Computational Biology

Data Science, the extraction of relevant insights from data, has firmly positioned itself at the forefront of health and life science research. Machine Learning and Deep Learning are foreseen to become key disruptive technologies within Data Science in translational research and personalized medicine applications. The cross-cutting focus area Data Science and Artificial Intelligence comprises research groups spanning MDC’s different research areas:

Article

Scientific image
Press Release No. 25 Berlin

A protein filter guards the cell’s power machinery

The Oliver Daumke lab and researchers at Freie Universität Berlin have revealed how a protein complex guards the entrance to channels in mitochondrial membranes called cristae. The work, published in “Nature Communications,” provides a blueprint for modeling human proteins in action.
Malva
Press Release No. 19 Berlin

A Google-like search engine for single-cell RNA

Nikolaus Rajewsky and his team have built a search engine that can scan data from millions of single cells from thousands of experiments worldwide in seconds. The tool, described in “Nature,” makes it possible to answer previously impossible questions about RNA biology.
Scientific image of a stained tissue sample showing inflammation around a blood vessel.
Press Release No. 18 Berlin

Proteomics and AI identify better biomarkers

A seven protein “signature” in blood can indicate successful treatment for vasculitis. The Mertins, Forslund and Kettritz labs report in “Nature Communications” how they used proteomics and AI to identify biomarkers, which could enable more personalized treatment with fewer side effects.
Altuna Akalin
Science

Altuna Akalin awarded professorship

Altuna Akalin has been appointed a professorship at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The position will enable closer collaboration with clinicians and faster application of bioinformatics in clinical care.
Microscopic image of a bone marrow biopsy
Press Release No. 11 Berlin

How blood stem cells diversify

Different types of bone marrow stem cells give rise to blood and immune cells. A team led by Simon Haas now reports in “Nature Cell Biology” how that diversity develops. The findings could help improve stem cell therapies, including treatments for blood cancers.
Wissenschaftliches Bild
Press Release No. 21 Berlin

Uncovering hidden gene switches

The Ohler lab has developed a new method called TESLA-seq to identify regulatory regions in the human genome. The research was published in “Cell Genomics.”
Lachender Mann hält eine weiße, gelochte 3D-gedruckte Kugel in der Hand.
Science

The modeler of cell development

As embryos develop, countless molecular mechanisms interact in intricate ways. Markus Mittnenzweig builds computational models to help decipher and predict the complex processes behind cell differentiation and tissue formation. His work could also contribute to preventing disease.
AI Image
Science

HAICORE: More than just computing power

Providing computing resources for scientific research – that’s the mission of Helmholtz AI Compute Resources, a Helmholtz Association initiative. The Max Delbrück Center has now joined the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Forschungszentrum Jülich in hosting the program.
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Press Release No. 11 Berlin

Joint Berlin Data & AI Center planned

Data-driven research is crucial for tackling societal challenges. In a collaboration that is so far unique, Berlin's Universities of Excellence, the Max Delbrück Center, and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, together with the Zuse Institute Berlin, aim to establish a powerful Data and AI Center.
3D molecular reconstruction of a lung tumor
Press Release No. 7 Berlin

Towards understanding tumors in 3D

Researchers in Nikolaus Rajewsky’s lab at Max Delbrück Center combined high-resolution, single-cell spatial technologies to map a tumor’s cellular neighborhoods in 3D and identify potential targets for personalized cancer therapy. They describe their findings in two separate papers in “Cell Systems.”