Research

Researchers use synthetic biology approaches to test hundreds of DNA sequences for their effect on regulating gene expression Summary The human genome contains over 20,000 genes. However, at any given time and in a given cell, only a fraction of them are active. Researchers from EMBL Heidelberg’s Krebs Group have come up with an innovative […]

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown layer of control over DNA repair in cells, exerted from outside the nucleus Summary Our DNA is under constant threat. Chemicals, radiation, and the everyday errors of cell division all damage it, and if left unrepaired, this can lead to diseases such as cancer. Cells invest heavily in finding […]

An open-source analysis framework developed by researchers at EMBL, HHU, and other institutions makes it easier to study how cells are organised within tumours, paving the way for new insights into cancer biology Summary How cancer develops and responds to treatment depends not only on the tumour cells themselves but also on the complex ecosystem […]

International research team simulates motions of a hydrated proton in full quantum detail Complex simulations – the most intricate of their kind to date – reveal how water governs the way protons move through it. They were carried out by an international research team led by scientists of Heidelberg University’s Institute for Physical Chemistry. Using […]

Why do cancers develop differently in different people—even when they are exposed to the same risk factors? An international research group, including the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), has now demonstrated in mice that an organism’s genetic makeup significantly influences the course of cancer development. The findings, now published in Nature, provide new insights into […]

Researchers have designed synthetic and inducible proteins that bind to bright fluorescent dyes with high specificity and affinity, significantly expanding the toolkit for multicolour imaging of proteins inside cells Summary Cells are like metropolises, home to millions of molecular residents. If one were to stand atop a high-rise, trying to identify most of its inhabitants […]

It has long been suspected that endothelial cells, the specialized cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels, play a key role in determining how the body’s immune system responds to tumors. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg and the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University have now identified, in mouse […]

Being overweight and obesity may contribute to significantly more cancer cases than previously thought. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Their analysis shows that when more accurate measures of body fat and methodological biases are considered, more than 10 percent of all cancer cases can be attributed […]

How can Europe strengthen its global competitiveness in biotechnology? Heidelberg, July 7th: This question was at the heart of a high-level roundtable hosted by the bioRN Life Science Cluster with Member of the European Parliament Hildegard Bentele. Representatives from Ascendis Pharma, BD, PROGEN, Novaliq, BASF Agricultural Solutions, PEPperPRINT, Evotec and Isenbruck Bösl Hörschler joined the […]