Max Planck Institutes and Experts

The research group Gene Expression and Signaling investigates the various functions of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) under stress or pathological conditions using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model for human diseases. miRNA-based regulatory networks buffer mistakes or stochastic fluctuations during gene expression to maintain cell identity and control differentiation, ensuring that each cell is equipped with the correct repertoire of proteins and fulfills its particular tasks.

The cilium is a slim hair-like structure found on almost all cells in our body. The cilium functions both in motility and as an antenna that allows sensation between cells and the environment. To build a functional cilium, the cell relies on intraflagellar transport (IFT). A failure to complete the process of IFT leads to human diseases including infertility, blindness, mental retardation and cysts formation. How the cilium is formed and what goes wrong in cilium-related diseases is poorly understood and is the topic of intense research also because of its medicinal aspects.

Life on Earth is surprisingly old. After the formation of our planet, about 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth was a hostile place without solid crust, essential water and with regularly occurring meteorite impacts. After the first stabilization of environmental conditions and the condensation of liquid water, it didn’t take long for the first life to appear in the form of primitive unicellular bacteria. The Max Planck Research Group Organic Paleobiogeochemistry studies how life evolved from its first occurrence to the complex ecosystems that surround us today.

During ageing, human proteins tend to aggregate. At a certain point, protein aggregation becomes toxic, which can cause damage to occur also in neurons and may result in neurodegenerative diseases. By studying model organisms like the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, it is possible to uncover the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. Scientists recently found that a naturally occurring molecule enhances defence mechanisms against neurodegenerative diseases. Feeding this particular metabolite to C. elegans improves clearance of toxic protein aggregates in the body and extends life span. 

Sleep is essential for human health. But with increasing age, many people experience a decline in sleep quality, which in turn reduces their quality of life. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing have investigated the mechanisms by which ageing impairs sleep in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Their findings suggest that age-related sleep decline can be prevented and might even be reversible.