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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 LinkedIn, Instagram or Bluesky.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.”
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Number of laboratory animals reduced
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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What are you reading, Ms Kedziora?
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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.
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How our cells learn to defeat cancer: A podcast with Markus Landthaler
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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
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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
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May 6
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Zeiss Großplanetarium Prenzlauer Allee 80 10405 Berlin
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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.
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May 7
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Online via Zoom
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Lab meets teacher
Teacher training
Topic: Retinal imaging: the eye as a window to the brain
The lecture will be given by Frederike Oertel.
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May 12 - 13
Luisenstr. 58/59 Langenbeck Virchow House 10117 Berlin
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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.
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May 19 - 20
Kaiserin Friedrich Foundation Robert-Koch-Platz 7 10115 Berlin
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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.
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May 20
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. MDC-BIMSB Elsa Neumann room 0.61 Hannoversche Str. 28 10115 Berlin
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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.
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June 28
5 p.m. - 11 p.m. Campus Berlin-Buch Robert-Rössle-Str. 10 13125 Berlin
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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
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July 4
10 a.m. - 10 p.m. MDC-BIMSB Hannoversche Str. 28 10115 Berlin
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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
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