Genetics & Genomics

The Max Delbrück Center and Berlin Institute of Health at Charité have joined a national network of six Genome Data Centers and the German Human Genome-Phenome Archive, adding Berlin as an operational data hub for genomic medicine and omics-based research.

A collaboration led by Max Delbrück Center and University of Bath has uncovered how ancient viral DNA controls a gene linked to placenta development and pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy disorder. The research, published in “Genome Biology,” could help identify pre-eclampsia risk much earlier.

Five scientists from the Max Delbrück Center have been named among the 100 most important minds in Berlin science in 2025 by the newspaper Tagesspiegel: Simone Spuler, Clara Vázquez García, Thoralf Niendorf, Gabriele Schiattarella and Ana Pombo.

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.”

The European Federation of Immunological Societies is awarding Klaus Rajewsky of the Max Delbrück Center its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. The 88-year-old Rajewsky, who remains active in research, is being recognized for his pioneering work in cellular and molecular immunology.

Neuroblastoma, a cancer mainly affecting children, is often difficult to treat. A team led by Jan Dörr and Anton Henssen at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center report in “Cancer Discovery,” a potential reason treatment sometimes fails and a new strategy to combat particularly resistant tumors.

Oral immunotherapy helps many children with peanut allergy – but for some, it can also trigger severe allergic reactions. In the journal “Allergy”, a team led by Young-Ae Lee explains what might be behind these differences and how treatment could become more personalized.

On June 19 and 20, the 2025 Berlin Institute of Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center Summer Meeting will explore how analyzing DNA and RNA can conserve biodiversity, ensure food security, and help detect and prevent disease.

The Helmholtz Institute for Translational AngioCardioScience (HI-TAC) invites attendees to its first Symposium on April 28 and 29, 2025. Researchers from around the world will meet at Heidelberg University to discuss how the heart and blood vessels communicate with the rest of the body to shape health.

Ashley Sanders, Group Leader of the Genome Instability and Somatic Mosaicism Lab, developed a technique to sequence strands of DNA in single cells. Today it is the most accurate method to detect DNA rearrangements. She hopes the technique will help reveal clues on how diseases develop.