Smart structures: Structural cells of the body control immune function
The human body is often seen as a “machine” that consists of specialized components: Bones and soft tissue provide structure, organs contribute physiological functions, and immune cells protect against pathogens. In reality, many cell types and organs may play more than one role. Researchers at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, have now discovered a striking example of multi-tasking cells. In a…
4th RESOLUTE Consortium Meeting (29-30 June 2020)
RESOLUTE, a public-private partnership funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and coordinated by CeMM and Pfizer, has recently reached its second year’s milestone on working towards the advancement of basic research on Solute Carrier Transporters. On 29-30 June 2020, the 4th RESOLUTE consortium meeting, initially to be hosted by Sanofi in Paris (France), took place virtually. More than 60 RESOLUTE members joined a “virtual tour” of…
Joanna Loizou becomes Group Leader at the Institute of Cancer Research at MedUni Vienna, and CeMM Adjunct Principal Investigator
In June 2020, Joanna Loizou and her team members moved to the Medical University of Vienna to join the Institute of Cancer Research. Joanna will now become an Adjunct Principal Investigator at CeMM. Joanna Loizou’s long-standing expertise is embedded in investigating the cellular pathways that respond to DNA damage, to maintain genome stability and suppress disease. Her important contributions within this field began during her PhD (2000-2004,…
CeMM receives the special prize of the Austrian “Innovation Awards 2020/2021” in organic chemistry
On 19 June 2020, the “Innovation Awards 2020-2021 / Austria’s Beste” were announced by the Austrian Association for Consumer Studies (ÖGVS) and the business magazine Trend, in their special issue Top 500. CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences has been awarded with the “Special Prize/Sonderpreis” in the field of organic chemistry and obtained the second-best place in IP category Biochemistry. This…
How to ensure health safety in Europe? The vision of the EU-LIFE Research Institutes
<link https://eu-life.eu/ _blank external-link-new-window "Opens internal link in current window">EU-LIFE</link>, the alliance of 14 leading Life Science Research Institutes in Europe announces its vision based on the lessons learned by COVID-19 pandemics on how Europe can prepare for future health crisis. The current COVID-19 pandemic dramatically highlighted how vulnerable Europe is regarding health safety. The health and wellbeing of European…
CeMM study reveals how a master regulator of gene transcription operates
The human Mediator complex is selectively required for cell-type-specifying transcription Using targeted protein degradation technology, researchers at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, set out to understand the primary role of a key regulator of transcription, the human Mediator complex. Mediator, a 30 subunit molecular machine, was thus far positioned as a factor that is generally required…
Release of over 200 new SARS-CoV-2 genomes provides unprecedented insights into transmission clusters in Austria
216 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have now been completed and released in the framework of the “Mutational Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria” project from CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in close collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). This data represents another milestone in the project…
Proxygen GmbH – a new CeMM spin-off company
On 18 May 2020, Proxygen GmbH, a startup company by CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Georg Winter, Giulio Superti-Furga, Stefan Kubicek and Matthias Brand has been founded. Proxygen GmbH will develop therapies against cancer and other life-threatening diseases by reprogramming the cellular protein quality control system. Proxygen is focused on particular small molecules called “molecular glue…
Missing component of innate immune signaling identified
How cells recognize pathogens and alert the immune system swiftly is a fundamental process of high importance for the survival of any species, including humans. A key role is ascribed to so-called adapters, that equal little molecular platforms inside cells where signals from pathogen detectors are integrated for safety and accuracy and conveyed to lasting signals leading to the activation of the major “red alarm” genes, like interferons.…
Single-cell RNA seq method developed to accurately quantify cell-specific drug effects in pancreatic islets
Researchers from Stefan Kubicek's and Christoph Bock’s groups, at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, have developed a method to accurately assess the effect of specific drugs in isolated pancreatic tissue by using a refined single-cell RNA sequencing method. Their study published in Genome Biology describes the technique that they have developed to overcome the problem of contaminating…
Chemical modification of oleanolic acid could pave the way to pharmaceutically relevant derivates
CeMM Adjunct PI Nuno Maulide’s group at the University of Vienna has developed an efficient reaction sequence to increase the oxidation state in oleanolic acid in the lab. In collaboration with the Georg Winter group at CeMM, the researchers also evaluated the antileukemic activity of the prepared compounds, revealing pronounced antiproliferative activity of a synthetic intermediate. The study, published in the renowned journal Chem, illustrates…
Join the CeMM Alumni Network
Today CeMM is launching the official Alumni LinkedIn group to provide CeMM Alumni for a space where they can come together with their former colleagues and friends and stay connected. In this private platform, former CeMMies can keep up to date with what is happening at CeMM, as well as post news, relevant job openings and announce events. The CeMM Alumni Network was established back in 2017 with the aim of connecting or re-connecting with…
A Soundtrack of Research – CeMM Research Report 2019
Researchers love music and listen to music all the time. The new CeMM Research Report has a musical backbone. Like in science, where people from different countries and with different cultural backgrounds share a common goal to search truth and to advance knowledge, music brings together individuals with different background. Music is a universal language that speaks to our brain, melts our hearts, goes under our skin and so on. As soundtrack to…
First SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Austria openly available
The first 21 SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Austria have now been completed and published within the scope of the “Mutational Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2” project recently launched by CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in close collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna. The project aims at sequencing 1,000 viral genomes obtained from Austrian patient-derived samples, in order to learn more about the…
Obituary Michael Wakelam
The CeMM community was shocked to hear the tragic news of the passing of Michael Wakelam, Director of The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, U.K. Since the foundation of the EU-Life Alliance, he was committed to building a community of excellence and promoting science. We will remember him from his visits to CeMM and collaborating with him at EU-Life meetings. Those who met him, even briefly, will remember him as friendly and open, always available…
