Latest Updates from the Max Perutz Labs

New Groupleader

“I am excited by the idea that we discover the unknown about the most fundamental things in life.”

Jun 11, 2019

Originally from Turkey, Elif Karagöz’s scientific journey brought her to Germany to do her Master’s and to the Netherlands for her PhD at Utrecht University. She then moved to the US where she held a PostDoc position at the University of California at San Francisco. She joined the Max Perutz Labs as a group leader in January 2019 to study stress responses in cells.

Latest Research

New tool for visualizing molecule properties

Jun 03, 2019

Nucleic acids and proteins can be described on different structural levels, but all depend on the most basic - the primary structure. It describes the exact sequence of amino acids or nucleotides – the smallest molecular units that form proteins or RNA and DNA. These units have certain physical and chemical properties, like charge or propensity to interact with water, which ultimately determine the property and, therefore, the function of the whole molecule.

Event

First Max Perutz Day kicks off a new era at the Max Perutz Labs Vienna

May 31, 2019

On the occasion of Max Perutz’ 105th birthday, the science community, students and stakeholders from the University of Vienna and the Medical University gathered to celebrate the first Max Perutz Day on May 23rd. The event was held to honour the scientific legacy of the Nobel prize winner for whom the institute is named.

All pictures (c) feel image / matern

Andreas Bachmair appointed full professor

Apr 08, 2019

Max Perutz Labs group leader Andreas Bachmair has been promoted to full Professor of Genetics and Biochemistry by the University of Vienna. 

News

New research platform to investigate key player in earth’s ecosystem

Mar 25, 2019

The University of Vienna has awarded €470.000 to an interdisciplinary research platform co-headed by Max Perutz Labs group leader Kristina Djinovic-Carugo, together with Michael Wagner and Holger Daims from the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science at the University of Vienna. The platform will research the Comammox bacteria, an important component in the global ecosystem and especially in the planet’s nitrogen cycle.

News

New funding for stem cell research at Max Perutz Labs and the Vienna BioCenter

Mar 19, 2019

The Austrian Science Fund FWF has awarded a doc.funds grant totalling more than €1.7 million to a consortium of stem cell researchers at the Vienna BioCenter. The group involves scientists from the Max Perutz Labs and the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Vienna, the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), and the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP). The programme is coordinated by Max Perutz Labs group leader Florian Raible and will support the recruitment of nine PhD students to start projects in the field of stem cell research starting in fall 2019.

New Publication

Renovating the house – how cells stay in good shape

Mar 08, 2019

Everyone owning a house knows it: to stay like new it needs cleaning and mending. Similarly cells constantly renovate and get rid of unwanted material in a process called autophagy in order to replace it with new parts. This ensures that the organism stays healthy over the years. Like a house renovation, different contractors are employed with repairs and getting rid of waste, and perfect communication is required between them. An international team of scientists from Berlin and Berkeley led by Sascha Martens from the Max Perutz Labs, a joint venture University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna now describe how this communication between two important factors takes place and thus ensures that autophagy correctly works in the cell.

Awards

ÖAW DOC Fellowship for Anete Romanauska

Feb 15, 2019

Congratulations to MFPL PhD student Anete Romanauska who has received the DOC Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. She currently pursues her PhD studies in Alwin Köhler’s lab. The prestigious DOC Fellowship Programme offers funding for highly qualified doctoral candidates.

New Publication

RNA helicase activity in the immune system: a matter of sex chromosomes

Feb 11, 2019

The proverbial differences between sexes are also found in many biological processes. Immune responses for example have for a long time been known to have distinct differences between males and females. Scientists from Thomas Decker’s group in collaboration with other research institutes now add another piece in the puzzle of sex related differences in immunity.

Awards

Roland Foisner elected foreign fellow of Czech Learned Society

Jan 29, 2019

Every year The Learned Society of Czech republic elects new members following nominations by its regular members. Currently there are 103 regular, 49 foreign members and 14 emeritus members in the Learned Society.

New Publication

The biomechanics of vascular ageing

Jan 08, 2019

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) lead to atherosclerosis and heart failure and are prevalent age-related illnesses in humans. In a new study, published in the renowned journal JCI, scientists from Roland Foisner’s group at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna, together with scientists from the Ludwig Boltzmann Cluster for Cardiovascular Research at the Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna and from the BOKU, Vienna describe the molecular mechanism behind CVD in the premature ageing disease Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). The findings could also help understand normal ageing processes in the cardiovascular system.

News

University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna extend successful collaboration with Max F. Perutz Laboratories

Jan 03, 2019

The University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna are extending their successful collaboration with Max F. Perutz Laboratories. Rectors Heinz W. Engl from the University of Vienna and Markus Müller from MedUni Vienna signed an agreement to extend the Joint Venture until 2025.