Structural Biology & Biophysics

Jana Kroll, Christian Rosenmund and their teams have captured the fleeting moment a nerve cell releases its neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. The work was published in “Nature Communications.”

During project week “Expedition Proteins” at the Gläsernes Labor, students immerse themselves in protein research – isolating samples, loading gels and visiting a real structural biology lab. The week-long workshop gives them a hands-on glimpse into how scientists explore life’s molecular machinery.

Igor Maciel Souza Silva has been awarded a 2-year Marie Curie fellowship. With his grant, he will investigate the structure of the epidermal growth factor receptor, which contributes to the development of cancer. He hopes the research will lead to safer cancer therapies.

Molecular machines carry out many vital processes inside our cells. When their components – protein building blocks – are faulty, it can lead to disease. Structural biologist Oliver Daumke investigates how these machines are built, what makes them work, and what goes wrong when they malfunction.

What does the 3D structure of protein look like? And what does this mean about its function? For decades, structural biologist Udo Heinemann has explored these questions at the Max Delbrück Center. Now, the German Society for Crystallography is honoring his life’s work.

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have used cryo-electron tomography to uncover new details of the molecular structure of synaptic vesicles, which help transport neurotransmitters in the brain. The study, published in “PNAS,” could inform therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders.

Misha Kudryashev’s lab at the Max Delbrück Center has identified a molecular intermediate of a serotonin receptor that is involved in diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. Published in “The EMBO Journal,” the study points to a potentially new target for therapeutics.

Three Max Delbrück post-docs have won Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships of €174,000 each. They will study how we perceive wetness, the structure of a mitochondrial protein, and integrate bioelectronics into neuromuscular organoids respectively.

The details of many immune defense mechanisms are still unknown, but a new study sheds light on one such mechanism. Writing in “The EMBO Journal”, researchers led by Oliver Daumke and Misha Kudryashev of the Max Delbrück Center describe exactly how GBP1 proteins render bacteria harmless by encapsulating them.

If waste DNA or RNA remains in cells, it can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autoimmune conditions. Writing in Nucleic Acids Research, scientists led by Oliver Daumke of the Max Delbrück Center describe the role one enzyme plays in removing this waste.