Press release - 25/10/2022 Three ERC Synergy Grants For Universität Heidelberg Scientists Heidelberg University scientists are to receive three ERC Synergy Grants – three highly endowed grants of the European Research Council – for pioneering research projects by several teams working in collaboration.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/three-erc-synergy-grants-universitaet-heidelberg-scientists
Article - 13/01/2014 Mechanisms of membrane protein insertion Prof. Dr. Irmgard Sinning, biochemist and structural biologist at the University of Heidelberg, will be awarded the 2014 Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for her work on the structure and function of complexes that transport different membrane proteins to the correct cellular compartments in the appropriate target membranes. Her research is primarily focussed on the co-translational SRP pathway mediated by signal…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mechanisms-of-membrane-protein-insertion
Article - 23/09/2013 Calcium and memory Calcium in the nuclei of neurons controls the transcription of genes that play a role in the structural changes that are responsible for the formation of long-term memory. Neurobiologists at Heidelberg University have identified this cellular “switch” in Drosophila melanogaster and have used sensational experiments to analyse its function in the formation of the long-term memory of flies. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/calcium-and-memory
Dossier - 05/08/2013 Progress expands bioethical boundaries Bioethics is a rich and continually evolving field. In the broadest sense, bioethics relates to the way human individuals treat any form of life. The issue of whether human beings have the right to do whatever they want goes way back. However, rapid progress in genetic engineering and cell biology means that it is now necessary to look at certain issues in a new way and recognise that not everything that is technically feasible should actually be…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/progress-expands-bioethical-boundaries
Article - 25/02/2013 Frauke Melchior and the SUMO wrestling match between proteins Fifteen years ago, molecular biologist Frauke Melchior discovered a new mechanism of posttranslational protein modification that controls a variety of processes in eukaryotic cells. A small protein called SUMO is covalently bound to target proteins by specific enzymes and cleaved by other enzymes. This discovery has shaped Melchior’s scientific career. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/frauke-melchior-and-the-sumo-wrestling-match-between-proteins
Article - 14/01/2013 A Heidelberg man of African origin The lower jaw of Homo heidelbergensis was an isolated find and has long been overshadowed by other spectacular early human finds. Homo heidelbergensis is regarded as the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, and so is a central part of the debate on modern human origins.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-heidelberg-man-of-african-origin
Press release - 14/12/2012 Need for Speed: High-speed Measurements of Molecular Motion in the Cell Nucleus They were able to measure the binding of highly specialised protein complexes that specifically change the spatial structure of the genetic information thereby controlling the readout of the DNA information. The work of Dr. Karsten Rippe and his team was carried out at the BioQuant Center of Heidelberg University and the German Cancer Research Center. Their research has demonstrated that the positioning of nucleosomes complexes of DNA and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/need-for-speed-high-speed-measurements-of-molecular-motion-in-the-cell-nucleus
Press release - 04/12/2012 How different nerve cells develop in the eye Neurobiologists from Heidelberg University’s Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) have gained new insights into how different types of nerve cells are formed in the developing animal. Through specialised microscopes, they were able to follow the development of the neural retina in the eye of living zebrafish embryos. Using high-resolution three-dimensional time-lapse images the researchers simultaneously observed the division of retinal nerve…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-different-nerve-cells-develop-in-the-eye
Press release - 04/12/2012 The Control of Signal Proteins for the Differentiation of Various Cell Types Regulatory SMAD proteins that are critical for the differentiation of various cell types are not only controlled through regulation of their activation but also through the available quantity of signal molecules in the inactivated state. This was shown by scientists from Heidelberg University Kaiserslautern and Jena.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/the-control-of-signal-proteins-for-the-differentiation-of-various-cell-types
Press release - 12/09/2012 Allegedly Useless Parts of the Human Genome Fulfil Regulatory Tasks The international ENCODE project aims to assemble an encyclopedia of all functional DNA elements in the human genome. The Heidelberg scientists were able to confirm in a showcase with the model organism Medaka fish that surprisingly many of the analysed elements in the non-protein-coding part of the DNA can actually regulate gene activity in a very specific way. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/allegedly-useless-parts-of-the-human-genome-fulfil-regulatory-tasks
Article - 03/09/2012 Systems biology and hepatitis C research The international research project SysPatho aims to advance the understanding of HCV (hepatitis C virus) infections using systems biology approaches. The goal of the project coordinated by Universität Heidelberg is to develop new mathematical and computational methods to reconstruct HCV-infected hepatocytes, which can be used to identify new drug targets and help treat this dangerous disease.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/systems-biology-and-hepatitis-c-research
Press release - 27/08/2012 New insights to the Function of Molecular Chaperones Heidelberg molecular biologists have gained new insights into the function of so-called molecular chaperones in protein synthesis. The team headed by Dr. Günter Kramer and Prof. Dr. Bernd Bukau of the DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance was able to demonstrate how a molecular chaperone in bacterial cells can influence the formation of the three-dimensional structure of new proteins.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-insights-to-the-function-of-molecular-chaperones
Article - 27/08/2012 A worm that turned The body plan of vertebrates resembles an earthworm turned on its back. Unsurprisingly, this radical idea initially met with great criticism but modern evo-devo research supports this idea of inversion. An evolutionarily conserved gene cassette determines the dorsoventral axis in the developing embryo. It does so in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the body plans of vertebrates and invertebrates are dorsoventrally inverted with…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-worm-that-turned
Article - 18/06/2012 Not just a zoo for fish mutants The fish facilities of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT house around 9000 aquariums. Zebrafish with genetic defects are excellent model organisms for many biological studies. Prof. Dr. Uwe Strähle and his team at the Institute of Toxicology and Genetics ITG at KIT have been focusing for a long time on the development of the fish nervous system. The European Zebrafish Resource Center EZRC led by Prof. Strähle is currently being…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/not-just-a-zoo-for-fish-mutants
Article - 16/04/2012 Endosymbiosis and horizontal gene transfer Mitochondria and plastids, which evolved by way of symbiogenesis, have over time come under the control of nuclear genes. It is still not known how the expression of genes encoded in the nucleus and mitochondrion is coordinated to make them functional. Model systems such as highly specialized plastid-incorporating marine slugs can be used to help clarify such issues. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/endosymbiosis-and-horizontal-gene-transfer
Article - 02/04/2012 Looking for the molecular conductors of neuroembryogenesis Tissue development in areas such as the nervous system can be likened to the arrangement of various elements in a concert. Genetic control centres play a key role in coordinating which pieces of music are played in which order. These control centres regulate the expression of genes. A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Uwe Strähle from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT uses zebrafish to understand the gene networks that control…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/looking-for-the-molecular-conductors-of-neuroembryogenesis
Article - 19/03/2012 Scientists from Heidelberg study the assembly of ribosomes Ribosomes are highly complex cellular nano-machines that synthesize new proteins. Their structure is relatively well known. They are assembled from immature pre-ribosomes in the cell nucleus in a process that involves numerous biogenesis factors. Researchers from Heidelberg have made a major contribution to our present understanding of the structure and function of the pre-ribosomal assembly and transport processes, and the biogenesis factors…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/scientists-from-heidelberg-study-the-assembly-of-ribosomes
Article - 19/03/2012 Quantification of the morphology of human blood vessels from 3D tomographic image data “QuantVessel”, an innovative approach designed to accurately determine the size and shape of blood vessels from 3D tomographic images, enables vascular diseases to be diagnosed more reliably and makes surgery more effective. The project is being carried out by researchers from the BioQuant centre at Universität Heidelberg and Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center) and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). It…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/quantification-of-the-morphology-of-human-blood-vessels-from-3d-tomographic-image-data
Dossier - 12/03/2012 Regenerative medicine makes use of patients’ own resources Regenerative medicine offers new therapeutic options for many diseases in which organ function or structure are damaged or lost. The majority of regenerative therapies involve cell-based methods that are often combined with innovative biomaterials. Regenerative therapies combine know-how from the biosciences with state-of-the-art medical technology and also benefit from progress in the engineering and material sciences.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/regenerative-medicine-makes-use-of-patients-own-resources
Article - 05/03/2012 Processing of olfactory cues in the brain The question as to how the brain produces useful information from the electrical stimuli coming from the sensory organs is a key issue in the neurosciences. Researchers from Heidelberg are investigating how mice discriminate odours and have shown that complex behaviour emerges from the properties of cells and molecules. Using highly specific genetic manipulations for their experiments, the researchers have been able to show that inhibitory…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/processing-of-olfactory-cues-in-the-brain
Article - 05/03/2012 Regulatory networks of plant stem cell systems A team of researchers led by Prof. Jan Lohmann at the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg is investigating the regulatory programmes that control the stem cell centre in the shoot meristem of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana and enable the plant to react to environmental influences. Despite the fact that animal and plant cells have developed independently from each other, the researchers have discovered unexpected similarities between…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/regulatory-networks-of-plant-stem-cell-systems
Press release - 08/02/2012 Cellular Switches: From the RNA World to the “Modern” Protein World G proteins play a central role in cellular signal processing. They are described as molecular switches that oscillate between on and off regulated by effectors. Biochemists at Heidelberg University have now gained fundamental insights into the mechanics of these switches.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cellular-switches-from-the-rna-world-to-the-modern-protein-world
Article - 10/10/2011 Ambassador for Germany’s science landscape The name Alexander von Humboldt is synonymous with the best ambassador for Germany as a country of science. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation launched the ideas competition “Research alumni of universities in Germany” in April 2011 and the winners have now been selected. The University of Heidelberg is one of the three winners and was awarded a prize for its best practice model for working with the university’s research alumni.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ambassador-for-germany-s-science-landscape
Article - 04/07/2011 The adhesion of cells to the endothelium and to artificial surfaces Professor Stefan W. Schneider from the Mannheim Medical Faculty is investigating the function of the vascular endothelium and its interaction with blood and tumour cells using microfluidics methods that enable him to measure the adhesion of cells to the walls of blood vessels under physiological flow conditions. As part of an interdisciplinary project, he is investigating the characteristics of wafer-thin surfaces covered with living cells, which…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-adhesion-of-cells-to-the-endothelium-and-to-artificial-surfaces
Article - 27/06/2011 The EURAT project at the Marsilius Kolleg in Heidelberg Bioinformaticians, human geneticists, molecular biologists, oncologists, pathologists, lawyers and theologians are all participating in the project “Ethical and legal aspects of the total sequencing of the human genome” (EURAT) being carried out at Heidelberg University’s Marsilius Kolleg. The project partners are developing a common viewpoint and working out solutions for problems arising from the possibilities of total genome sequencing. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-eurat-project-at-the-marsilius-kolleg-in-heidelberg
Article - 30/05/2011 BioRN Innovation Center: Innovation broker for market and society With the establishment of the BioRN Innovation Center in the Rhine-Neckar Life Science Cluster, a professional, specialist and neutral intermediary between science and industry will be available to support the transfer of technologies in all of the cluster’s research institutions. In addition, the BioRN Innovation Center acts as a partner for strategic alliances set up to reinforce the competitiveness of the institutions on the European and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/biorn-innovation-center-innovation-broker-for-market-and-society
Article - 23/05/2011 KIT researchers attempt to grow cardiomyocytes in Petri dishes Regenerative medicine specialists are aiming to be able to grow complete organs from stem cells some time in the future. However although the microscopically small cells are able to do many things they are not able to grow organs on their own. Dr. Alexandra Rolletschek and her team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT are investigating how stem cells can be grown into heart muscle cells cardiomyocytes in Petri dishes. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/kit-researchers-attempt-to-grow-cardiomyocytes-in-petri-dishes
Article - 30/04/2011 The DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance The strategic alliance between the cell and tumour biology research priority at the German Cancer Research Center and the Center for Molecular Biology at Universität Heidelberg has led to the development of one of the largest centres of basic biomedical research in Germany. The top international profile of this interdisciplinary institution located at the interface between molecular and cellular biology tumour biology and biomedicine is reflected…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-dkfz-zmbh-alliance
Press release - 04/04/2011 Nanomaterials trap cancer cells An international team of researchers led by Dr. Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, Director of the “Nanomedicine Translational Think Tank” at the Mannheim Medical Faculty at Universität Heidelberg, has developed a method that has the potential to prevent cancer stem cells from dividing and metastasising. The trick is to use nanomaterials that trap cancer stem cells.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/nanomaterials-trap-cancer-cells
Press release - 10/02/2011 Blood-clotting protein linked to cancer and septicaemia Scientists at the EMBL and the University of Heidelberg have shown how stressed cells boost the production of the blood-clotting protein thrombin and how cancer cells may be taking advantage of this process. This research could lead to new therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/blood-clotting-protein-linked-to-cancer-and-septicaemia
Press release - 29/05/2008 To fight the Cancer before the Tumour grows Researchers in Heidelberg have discovered a new strategy for an immunization against certain forms of cancer. They have determined that immune cells react strongly to the modified proteins in tumor cells in which a DNA repair defect has occurred. It is estimated that this repair defect is present in some 15 percent of all tumours.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/to-fight-the-cancer-before-the-tumour-grows