Max Delbrück Center

🎉 Congratulations to Markus Mittnenzweig on receiving an ERC Starting Grant!

With €1.5 million in funding from the European Research Council, he and his team will investigate how early-stage embryonic zebrafish cells become specialized tissues.

They will use a combination of technologies to understand the ballet of signals and spatial cues that nudge zebrafish embryos to develop specialized tissues and organs.

👉 More background via the full article:
https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/press/markus-mittnenzweig-wins-erc-starting-grant

 #ERCStG

🎉 Ashley Sanders has been awarded a W3 professorship from @ChariteBerlin@wisskomm.social. Congratulations!

🧬 This prestigious recognition honors Sanders’ contributions to the field of #SingleCell #DNA sequencing, where she has helped redefine our understanding of genomic structure and variability.

The tenured position will allow her and her team to expand their research on developing personalized therapies for inflammatory #BowelDisease and other conditions.

🔗 https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/news/professorship-awarded-ashley-sanders

📷 Pablo Castagnola

📧 Sleeping #tumor cells, boosting #vaccine efficacy, and a sci-fi #podcast

Although our labs and offices were a bit quiet during the summer break, there were exciting research findings in August. You can find all details in our monthly #newsletter.

Curious about the latest in biomedical research? Get "Insights" delivered to your inbox every month – sign up here:
👉 http://www.mdc-berlin.de/newsletter

Read the full Insights issue and join the discussion in the comments:
👉 https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com//files.crsend.com/298000/298054/rss/media/16459975.htm

Can fasting boost vaccine protection as we age?

A trial at #mdcBerlin is testing intermittent fasting before flu & COVID shots to strengthen immunity in adults 60+.
Aging weakens the immune system, but fasting may restore autophagy and improve vaccine responses.

🔗 https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/news/boosting-vaccine-efficacy-we-age

🔍 When science education meets research
At the Gläsernes Labor, 24 teens spent a week investigating genetics, immune responses & allergy diagnostics. The new course is part of a collaboration between #mdcBerlin, @ChariteBerlin@wisskomm.social, DZKJ & DRFZ.

🔗 https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/news/promoting-awareness-health-research

🧬 How do immune cells talk – and what happens when they miscommunicate?

A team led by Simon Haas & Daniel Hübschmann has developed a technology that maps millions of cell-to-cell interactions.
It reveals how immune cells behave during infections, autoimmune diseases & cancer immunotherapy — and how this communication changes over time. 🔬

📍 A step forward for personalized medicine!
📊 The dynamic maps help predict how patients might respond to treatment.

Learn more: 👉
https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/press/how-immune-cells-communicate

Lead your independent research project as a #postdoc in our 3-year #fellowship.

The program includes full-time employment with competitive salary, budget, structured co-supervision, mentoring and advanced training

Apply from August 4 to August 28
👉 https://www.mdc-berlin.de/postdocs#t-globalfellow

Please share!

🌍 Science infrastructure is not just about equipment – it’s about who gets to use it.

As part of the 2025 EU-LIFE Science Vision Talk Contest, David Peran Hayes from #mdcBerlin presented a personal and professional perspective on scientific capacity-building.

His talk – "Growing West African Science Through Bio-Imaging" – reflects on research collaborations, infrastructure development, and the intersection of science and equity.

📺 Watch his talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoGNhElhVYg&list=PL6Vg6O8NFMhMHombHvLz0HDzWlvZtrkCc&index=16

Observe a heart attack in virtual space, listen to a science talk, learn about biolocial process - and listen to a concert. There's a lot going on at our #lndw25!

Hooray! 🥳 ImmunoPreCept has been selected as a new Cluster of Excellence and will receive funding as part of Germany’s national Excellence Strategy! We’re also celebrating with NeuroCure: the Cluster of Excellence has once again been successful and is entering its fifth funding period! 🎉

The decision was just announced by @dfg_public@wisskomm.social and @WissRat@wisskomm.social.

#Exzellenzstrategie #Exzellenzcluster

Details 👉 https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/press/millions-funding-two-clusters-excellence

🧬 What innovations will our labs present at BioVaria 2025?

From #AI-powered search engines to unlock the full potential of omics data to a scalable drug screening platform for neuromuscular diseases – four research teams from the Max Delbrück Center will showcase their projects at the BioVaria event in Munich (28–29 April). The #techtransfer event brings together academic inventors with biotech, pharma, and investment stakeholders.

Details: https://www.biovaria.org/

@GaryRLewin1@qoto.org

We are now accepting applications for the spring round of our fully-funded #PhD positions at @MDC_Berlin@social.bund.de
Apply for your #ScienceCareer in:

▶️ Genes, Cells and Cell-based Medicine
▶️ Molecular Processes and Therapies
▶️ Integrative Biomedicine

👉 https://www.mdc-berlin.de/phd 👈

@helmholtz@helmholtz.social @association@helmholtz.social
@bih_charite@berlin.social @ChariteBerlin@wisskomm.social

Congratulations to Maike Sander, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center!

Together with Antonia Joussen (@ChariteBerlin@wisskomm.social), Stefan Rahmstorf (Uni Potsdam) and Ricarda Winkelmann (PIK, @mpi_gea@social.mpdl.mpg.de) @BBAW@wisskomm.social admitted her into the academy during its annual #Einsteintag ("Einstein Day") celebrations in Potsdam.

#mdcBerlin

His second #ERCPoC grant, his third @ERC_Research@respublicae.eu grant in total: Congrats to our #cancer researcher
Gaetano Gargiulo!

His lab is developing a screening tool to evaluate and enhance lab-produced CAR #Tcells against cancer.

More details: https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/press/third-erc-grant-gaetano-gargiulo

Das war die Festveranstaltung zum 30. Geburtstag des #mdcBerlin und der Amtseinführung von Maike Sander, unserer neuen wissenschaftlichen Vorständin. Wir bedanken uns bei allen, die mit uns gefeiert haben! 🥳

Impressionen vom Abend: https://www.mdc-berlin.de/de/news/press/max-delbrueck-center-feiert-30-jaehriges-bestehen #mdc30 @helmholtz@bonn.social

Unsere neue Wissenschaftliche Vorständin Maike Sander in ihrer Antrittsrede.
#mdc30 @helmholtz@bonn.social

📺 Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3m52Qbeezg

Aus dem Grußwort von Otmar D. Wiestler, Präsident der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft @helmholtz@bonn.social #mdc30

📺 Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3m52Qbeezg

Aus dem Grußwort von Bundesforschungsministerin Bettina Stark-Watzinger @bmbf_bund@social.bund.de zum Festakt Amtseinführung Maike Sander und 30 Jahre MDC
#mdc30 @helmholtz@bonn.social

📺 Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3m52Qbeezg