Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

Dresden research team develops novel imaging approach to visualize individual lipids in cells and uncovers its main transport mechanism within the cell

Dresden researchers develop next-generation organoid model to better understand liver disease

Researchers reveal how glycolysis drives early embryonic cell decisions

A new research field combining artificial intelligence and biomedicine is starting in Dresden

Movements and rearrangements of cells play a key role in shaping tissue

The laws of physics also apply to biological systems. AI, however, generally lacks this foundational knowledge. As a result, there is a risk that it will produce nonsensical results when describing biological organisms. Computer scientist Ivo Sbalzarini and his research group are developing AI that incorporates the laws of physics into the analysis of biological processes, combining biology with mechanics. This allows them to determine how genes influence tissue shape. The technology could also be used to develop more targeted medication in the future.

Meritxell Huch has led her own scientific department at the Max Planck Society since last year, making her one of the youngest directors in the organization’s history. However, the scientist was not born into her career.

For decades, few people were interested in the puncta that biologists observed when they examined cells under the microscope. Cliff Brangwynne and Anthony Hyman from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden were among the first researchers to study these mysterious phenomena in more detail.

Artists and architects of all eras have been inspired by symmetry in nature. This is hardly surprising, as symmetry is considered the epitome of beauty – and mirror symmetry is the absolute gold standard. Jochen Rink from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden is seeking to discover how organisms define the mirror plane and thereby fulfill the basic prerequisite for a symmetrical body structure. To do this he studies flatworms and their astonishing ability to regenerate missing body parts.

Many biomolecules move through cells like microscopic machines. Often, however, it isn’t known what forces these molecules generate or how fast the molecules act or move. That’s why Stephan Grill from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden decided to specialize in measuring molecular forces. He uses optical tweezers to pull gently on DNA strands. His method is shedding light on the proteins that read genetic information.

Our research group is driven by questions and problems where geometry and topology play together in biological and biophysical settings. Together with the Cluster of Excellence at the TU Dresden, we found a mechanism by which tissues can be “programmed” to transition from a flat to a complex three-dimensional shape. To accomplish this, we looked at the wing development of the fruit fly Drosophila.

Anne Grapin-Botton’s research group focuses on how single cells act communally to generate an organ. Together with colleagues from the Novo Nordisk Foundation at University of Copenhagen, she and her team used a special method to watch both the activity of the gene Neurogenin 3 and the protein it makes in human pancreas cells. The researchers developed a methodology that can link the dynamic behaviors of pancreatic cells observed in live imaging movies to all the genes they express. This will contribute to a better understanding of how the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas develop. 

The Nadler lab develops chemical probes that can be used to study the function of lipids or fats in cell biology. Using these tools, they are now able to address a number of fundamental questions in membrane biology: Why do biological membranes exhibit an asymmetric lipid distribution? How does the cell direct lipid molecules with extremely variable structural properties to the correct organelle membranes? How are lipids moved across membrane contact sites? How do lipids interact with proteins in cellular signaling cascades? 

Our research group at MPI-CBG focuses on tissue regeneration. Together with colleagues from Cambridge, our team has found that a regulatory cell type - mesenchymal cells - can activate or stop liver regeneration. This is achieved by the number of contacts these establish with the regenerating cells (epithelial cells). Our findings suggest that mistakes in the regeneration process, which can give rise to diseases, are caused by the wrong number of contacts between both cell populations. 

Our Lab is focused on mimicking cellular processes with synthetic systems. In collaboration with the MPI of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI) we have developed a minimal synthetic cell, a simpler system compared to biological cells. This tunable synthetic system presents new exciting possibilities in addressing fundamental questions in biology.