Dear reader,

April unfortunately didn’t soak our streets with much needed rain, but it did bring a flood of news: We announced in Nature Medicine the creation of a new Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force that will focus on integrating disease prevention into medical practice; Nikolaus Rajewsky’s lab uses high-resolution, single-cell spatial technologies to map a tumor’s cellular neighborhood in 3D; Nicola Wilck’s team, working with the Forslund lab, identified gut microbiome signatures that might help predict kidney transplant rejection.

Momentum continued to grow throughout the month: HI-TAC held its first symposium on AngioCardio Science in Heidelberg. Meanwhile, Campus Buch welcomed international researchers for the biannual Helmholtz Drug Discovery Conference. And in this month’s researcher profile, meet Melissa Birol ­– the scientist decoding the body’s most cryptic proteins.

We hope you enjoy reading.

Your Insights team

PS: If you want to know more about the Max Delbrück Center, just follow us on
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IN FOCUS

The decrypter of cryptic proteins 

How do disordered proteins drive neurological diseases? Melissa Birol uses advanced imaging and brain organoids to uncover the hidden functions of these mysterious proteins. She hopes to find novel ways to treat incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 

Read more

RESEARCH

Helmholtz task force strengthens prevention research

The Helmholtz Association is pooling its commitment to prevention research with the launch of the Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force. In a strategy paper published in "Nature Medicine," the committee outlines initial concepts for integrating prevention more effectively into medical practice. 

Read more

 

How the heart and blood vessels influence organs

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

Read more

 

 

Helmholtz Drug Discovery meeting in Berlin

On April 28-30, top scientists and companies met in Berlin-Buch for the 2025 Helmholtz Drug Discovery Conference. They discussed RNA drugs, PROTACs, AI in drug discovery, and chemoproteomics and to form new collaborations.

Read more

 

Towards understanding tumors in 3D

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

Read more

 

 

Gut microbiome reveals risk of organ rejection

A team of researchers in Nicola Wilck's lab at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center have found that changes in gut microbes can indicate when the body may reject a transplanted kidney. The study was published in the “American Journal of Transplantation.”

Read more

Number of laboratory animals reduced

Our research teams and our partner institutions used a total of 31,517 animals in experiments in 2024 – almost 6,000 fewer than the previous year. These figures were reported to the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSo).

Read more
 

OUR PEOPLE

 

In memory of Professor Peter M. Schlag

We are mourning the loss of Professor Peter M. Schlag (1948–2025). He was a pioneer of cancer research and a passionate physician. Schlag worked as a group leader at our research center for more than two decades.

Read more

 

 

Fostering cooperation

Starting in May, Anne Ziemke will head the staff unit Strategic Programs, Resources, and Implementation at our center. She aims to further improve the conditions for excellent research and to forge closer collaboration with other research institutions.

Read more

INNOVATIONS

The power of change management in technology platforms

The EU-LIFE Core Facilities Working Group published a paper on the management of technology platforms in “EMBO reports.” It provides useful insights into the lifecycle of these essential facilities, from creation to closing, and examples of challenges faced by research institutes of the EU-LIFE alliance.

Read more

ON CAMPUS

Sibylle Bergemann photo exhibition 

Since April 3, MDC-BIMSB in Berlin, Mitte has been hosting an exhibition of 40 photographs by iconic photographer Sibylle Bergemann. During the opening, which was attended by her daughter Frieda and granddaughter Lily von Wild, the rooftop terrace was named in Bergemann’s honor.

Read more

 

Long Night of the Sciences

June 28 will mark 25 years of the Long Night of Sciences! From 5 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., we will open our laboratories and buildings to the public – like many other scientific and science-related institutions in Berlin.

 

Data science? Absolutely!

How does research actually work? What do data scientists and animal caretakers do? This year, 17 girls visited the Max Delbrück Center for Girls' Day – and five boys took part in Boys' Day.

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RECOMMENDED READING

What are you reading, Ms Kedziora? 

Sarah Kedziora is a postdoctoral researcher at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center. The molecular biologist is a passionate cardiovascular researcher and equally passionate about teaching students in the Lifescience Learning Lab on our Campus. She recommends a novel by a Japanese writer and playwright.

Read more
 

SOUND ON

How our cells learn to defeat cancer: A podcast with Markus Landthaler

mRNA research has delivered vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Could RNA technology one day even defeat cancer? Markus Landthaler is working on deciphering the mode of action of RNA-binding proteins and making them usable.

Listen now
 

OPEN POSITIONS

Curious about a career that combines science and innovation? At the Max Delbrück Center you can expect exciting challenges, interdisciplinary and international teams and the opportunity to help shape the medicine of tomorrow – whether in administration or in the lab.

All open positions

SAVE THE DATE

 

May 6

7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Zeiss Großplanetarium
Prenzlauer Allee 80
10405 Berlin


Berlin Brains

Hot sand and popsicles – how our brain recognizes temperature

Touching an object and immediately recognizing whether it is warm or cold seems natural to us. But how does this actually work? Where and how does the brain process temperature information?

In their lecture, Svenja Steinfelder and Gamze Güney from the Poulet lab explain how the brain processes sensory information about temperature so that we don't burn our fingers.

 

May 7

4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom


Lab meets teacher

Teacher training

Topic: Retinal imaging: the eye as a window to the brain

The lecture will be given by Frederike Oertel.
 

May 12 - 13

 

Luisenstr. 58/59
Langenbeck Virchow House
10117 Berlin


ISCO 2025 Conference 


We are thrilled to announce the upcoming ISCO 2025 Conference, a premier gathering to discuss Innovations in Single Cell Omics. Join us for two inspiring days of knowledge exchange, networking, and innovation.
 

May 19 - 20

 

Kaiserin Friedrich Foundation
Robert-Koch-Platz 7
10115 Berlin


Biology of Health

Towards a Molecular Approach to Preventive Medicine

Understanding the biology of health is crucial to promote wellness. It encompasses how our bodies function, how diseases occur, and how to prevent them. Analyzing the earliest deviations from health will helps us to develop effective strategies for prevention and treatment – creating a healthier society. Research in this field continues to provide insights to transform our approach to healthcare and disease management.
 

May 20

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

MDC-BIMSB
Elsa Neumann room 0.61
Hannoversche Str. 28
10115 Berlin

SPARK: Creative processes in the arts and sciences

Concert and discussion series

The series invites world-class musicians, composers and scientists to share their insights and experiences in lighting the creative fire in their respective fields.

Each event in the series presents a concert – often featuring world-premieres of new works – and an interactive panel discussion.

Music by Cathy Milliken, Berio, Saint-Saëns, Ravel, followed by a discussion on the topic: “The future of education” with the musicians and scientists of the Max Delbrück Center.
 

June 28

5 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Campus Berlin-Buch
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin


Long Night of Sciences


In June, we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Long Night of the Sciences (LNDW) in Berlin!

Once again, you can look forward to a diverse program featuring spectacular experiments, exciting lectures, science shows, lab tours, and a late-night show.

This year, tickets are only 5 euros! Presale starts in April.

Sign up for the newsletter now!
Follow the Lange Nacht on LinkedIn

 

July 4

10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

MDC-BIMSB
Hannoversche Str. 28
10115 Berlin


MDC Alumni Day & Graduation Symposium 2025


Join the MDC Alumni Day & Graduation Ceremony 2025 – a day of celebration, reunion and graduation. 

Rediscover the nostalgia and camaraderie of the Max Delbrück Center during the alumni gathering and applaud our latest doctoral achievements! 

Registration