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Unnatural selection

Aug 04, 2025

Hospital-acquired fungal infections, which pose a serious risk to immunocompromised patients, are a growing global health challenge. In a new study published in Cell Reports, first author Trinh Phan-Canh, a PhD student at Perutz, discovered that a morphogenetic switch between White and Brown phenotypes in the human pathogen Candida auris correlates with virulence, pathogenicity, and drug resistance, with implications for the treatment of systemic Candida infections.
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A new start for mitophagy

Jul 25, 2025

The recycling of damaged or surplus organelles by autophagy is crucial to maintaining cellular fitness. Dysregulation of mitophagy, in particular, is linked to Parkinson’s disease. A new study by postdoc Elias Adriaenssens (Martens lab), published in Nature Cell Biology, reveals a new mechanism for mitophagy initiation – showing that conventional downstream autophagy proteins, specifically WIPI proteins, are sometimes required in the early steps of autophagosome biogenesis. The discovery provokes a reconsideration of the hierarchy of factors in autophagy initiation. The study is part of the ‘Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP)’ scientific collaboration network.
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Over €1.9 million in FWF funding for four Perutz group leaders

Jul 16, 2025

Four group leaders at the Max Perutz Labs – Erinc Hallacli, Pim Huis in 't Veld, Martin Leeb, and Joao Matos – have secured more than €1.9 million funding from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) to pursue new research directions. Erinc Hallacli’s work explores how disruptions in mRNA regulation contribute to Parkinson’s Disease, while Pim Huis in 't Veld investigates how molecular machines detect and repair fragile DNA bridges during cell division. Martin Leeb explores how human embryonic stem cells transition into a state capable of forming all tissues in the early embryo. Joao Matos received funding through the FWF’s ‘1000 Ideas’ program to study whether metabolic enzyme polymers help preserve the quality of aging oocytes.
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Seven Perutz PhD students awarded prestigious ÖAW DOC Fellowships

Jul 15, 2025

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)’s DOC Fellowship program supports outstanding PhD students by funding their innovative research projects. This year, seven talented Perutz PhD students received this highly competitive fellowship: Kathleen Berkun and Elizabeth Ethier (Hallacli lab), María García Gallardo (Buecker lab), Aswini Kumar Panda (Falk lab), Sebastian Platzer and Kavya Shetty (Hein lab), and Mateusz Walter (Querques lab). Their work spans a wide range of topics, from neurodegenerative diseases to fundamental protein biology. Congratulations to all on this remarkable achievement!
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Cut to fit

Jul 01, 2025

Precise regulation of the innate immune response is critical in the fight against pathogens. A new study by Adrian Söderholm (Versteeg lab), published in Nucleic Acids Research, reveals how cells regulate immune signaling by controlling RNA processing of JAK2, a crucial signal transducer in mediating an innate immune response. The researchers identify the protein ERH as a previously underappreciated but essential factor in the interferon gamma (IFNγ) signaling pathway.
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Celebrating 20 years of transformative basic research at the Perutz

Jun 26, 2025

The Max Perutz Labs celebrated their 20th anniversary on June 24 with a special event honoring two decades of pioneering research in molecular biology. Scientists, alumni, and guests from across the scientific community came together to reflect on past achievements and the journey that shaped the institute into what it is today. The day was filled with memorable moments – from the thought-provoking Perutz Lectures to a spirited panel discussion, a beatboxing flutist, and celebrations that carried late into the night.
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Alwin Köhler awarded ERC Advanced Grant

Jun 17, 2025

Alwin Köhler, group leader and scientific director at the Max Perutz Labs, has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant to investigate how nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) remodel nuclear membranes to form functional channels – a process he proposes is closely linked to lipid chemistry and nuclear membrane metabolism. The project seeks to uncover how cells sculpt the nucleus without rupturing it, which is a question that lies at the heart of eukaryotic life. This is Alwin Köhler’s third ERC grant, following earlier Starting and Consolidator Grants.
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Recognizing research talent: Max Perutz PhD fellows 2025

Jun 13, 2025

The Max Perutz PhD Fellowship celebrates outstanding young scientists at the Perutz tackling fundamental biological questions. This year, Magdalena Otto (Leonard lab) and Daniel Velikov (Matos lab) have been awarded the fellowship for their PhD projects in cell signaling and meiosis. Both Magdalena and Daniel are decoding how cells manage complex molecular processes – under stress and during reproduction.
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Flying in the face of conventional wisdom

May 21, 2025

The function of centriolar satellites – cytoplasmic particles found in the vicinity of centrosomes and the base of cilia – has long been enigmatic. From studies of the component protein PCM1, satellites were thought to shuttle proteins to help build the centrosome and cilium. However, a new study from the Dammermann lab published in the Journal of Cell Biology challenges this view, proposing instead that satellites may serve a very different purpose – one tied to translation and translation-coupled protein quality control.

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