“Breathing at High Altitude” is an exhibition dedicated to the personal life and science of Max F. Perutz, a pioneer of 20th century molecular biology. Born in 1914 in Vienna, he later emigrated to the UK, where he began to explore the structure of proteins in Cambridge. In 1940, he was interned and deported to Canada as an enemy alien, only to be brought back and set to work on a bizarre top-secret war project.
In 1947, he founded the small research group at the LMB in Cambridge in which Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the structure of DNA. His own twenty-two year quest to reveal the structure of hemoglobin was finally rewarded with a Nobel Prize in 1962 and launched a new era of medicine. Beyond intellectual brilliance, Max Perutz stands out as an ambassador for science and human rights and as an inspiration for young scientists.
“Breathing at High Altitude” sheds light on Max Perutz’s fascinating life, celebrates his love for mountains, and visualizes “breathing” in a unique way. It will be a rewarding experience for scientists and non-scientists alike.
Georgina Ferry, Max Perutz´s biographer
On the occasion of the newly published German translation of the biography "Max Perutz and the Secret of Life", the Austrian Academy of Sciences together with the Max Perutz Labs invited to the presentation of the book including a discussion.
Klaus Taschwer (Der Standard) talked with Perutz biographer Georgina Ferry about the life, work and legacy of the Austrian-British biochemist and Cornelius Obonya read from the German version.
Max Ferdinand Perutz was born in Vienna on May 19, 1914, to a Jewish family. His life was marked by emigration to Great Britain in 1936, prison terms, and life as an "enemy alien". Years of tireless research followed, during which he headed the world-famous Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge (UK). In 1962 his scientific endeavours were finally rewarded with the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Date: June 13, 2022
Time: 18:30 - 19:30
Location: Austrian Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften), Theatersaal, Sonnenfelsgasse 19, 1010 Vienna
Max Perutz’ scientific journey from the Theresianum in Vienna to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge arguably laid the foundations of modern molecular biology. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962 for his work on hemoglobin, Max’ legacy continues today at the research institute that bears his name in the city where he was born.
Professor Leonard talked about Max’ natural curiosity, the scientific question that he dedicated most of his life to answering - how does hemoglobin transport oxygen? - and the tireless perseverance required to achieve his goal - an exhilarating adventure into the mountains, where the views are breathtaking and the summit is simply staggering.
Date: May 31, 2022
Time: 18:00 – 19:00
Location: University of Vienna, Marietta Blau lecture hall and courtyard (Arkadenhof)
How to do proteomics better, faster, smarter - recent developments and opportunities in mass spectrometry
Biomechanics of Muscle Morphogenesis
Control of cell fate and morphogenesis in the developing brain
Activation and regulation of plant immunity by secreted signaling peptides
Transcription start site selection is environmentally controlled to diversify the proteome in eukaryotes
How evolutionary interplay between sexes can help us define phenotypes and develop drugs
Mining for protein-protein interactions with AlphaFold: Lessons from Genome Maintenance
Probing life at the nanoscale - one molecule at a time
The Underworld of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents
Epigenetic regulation of germline development
Sister chromatid cohesion is mediated by individual cohesin complexes
Capturing conformational transitions in the ubiquitin conjugation cascade
18th Microsymposium on RNA Biology
The „Microsymposium on RNA Biology“ is an international conference that brings together young scientists, junior and senior group leaders, and company representatives from all over the world to present and discuss their latest findings in the exciting field of small RNAs and beyond. The Microsymposium was founded in 2005 and has established itself as the major small RNA meeting in Europe. It is organized by the four research institutions IMBA, IMP, GMI and the Max Perutz Labs as well as by the RNA community of the Vienna BioCenter.
Parthenogenesis, cryptobiosis, and the survival in extreme environmental conditions
Ubiquitin & Friends Symposium 2024
The Ubiquitin & Friends Symposium is an annual international meeting taking place in the beautiful capital of Austria, aiming to bring together scholars from various fields studying ubiquitin/Ubl biology and protein degradation in a personal, family-like atmosphere, as suggested by the name.
The evolution and development of mollusc shells
Unraveling the Complexity of Crossover Regulation in C. elegans
Dynamics of 3D Genome Structure and Function
How superworms can help to solve our plastic waste crisis
Shaping morphogen gradients: from molecules to tissues and back
Studying stressed cells by in situ structural biology
Exploring Microbial Resilience: Unravelling Escherichia coliand#x27;s Stress Response at the Level of Protein Synthesis
Deep homology and deep diversity: Evolving genetic toolkits for making and sensing light
The evolution of cell type identity and tissue microecology at the fetal-maternal interface
Origin and diversification of gut-derived organs in chordates
Job's Dilemma for the Genome: Why Bad Things Happen to Good Chromosomes
Understanding how the DNA-loop-extruding protein complex Condensin folds a chromatinized genome into mitotic chromosomes
Striking physiology and cell biology of (marine) environmental microorganisms
Mechanisms controlling maintenance of cohesin dependent loops
Title to be announced