Next step in light microscopy image improvement

New deep learning architecture enables higher efficiency compared to widely used methods

21-Nov-2024 - It is the computational processing of images that reveals the finest details of a sample placed under all kinds of different light microscopes. Even though this processing has come a long way, there is still room for increasing for example image contrast and resolution. Based on a unique deep ...

Gut microbiome influences location of immune cells

Microbial communities shape the immune system

24-Sep-2024 - Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center of Max Delbrück Center and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have found that microbial communities in the mouse GI tract are unevenly distributed, which influences immune cell populations. The work was published in“Gut ...

A new drug target for psychiatric disorders

11-Sep-2024 - Misha Kudryashev’s lab at the Max Delbrück Center has identified a molecular intermediate of a serotonin receptor that is involved in diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. The study points to a potentially new target for therapeutics. A new study published in “The EMBO Journal” points ...

Sharpening the gene scissors together

Max Delbrück Centre and biotech start-up AlgenScribe cooperate

29-Jul-2024 - The Max Delbrück Center, Berlin, and the biotech company AlgenScribe from Nice have agreed to cooperate to further develop their gene-editing tools. The aim is to utilize synergies, accelerate research, and ultimately develop cell therapies for genetically determined diseases. A special kind of ...

A vast viral world in wastewater

How metagenomic sequencing helps to understand the spread of viruses

22-Jul-2024 - Deep metagenomic sequencing of wastewater in Berlin over 17 months shows this technique could help forecast disease outbreaks and monitor the spread of human pathogens. It can also reveal thousands of novel viruses, according to a study by the Landthaler lab published in “Environment ...

Understanding the roots of chronic pain

Ion channel that contributes to chronic pain identified, suggesting a new target for pain medication

16-Jul-2024 - A team of researchers led by Oscar Sánchez-Carranza in Professor Gary Lewin’s lab at the Max Delbrück Center have identified a new function for the PIEZO2 protein – in mediating chronic pain hypersensitivity. The research suggests a new target for analgesics and potentially explains why pain ...

In severe COVID-19 cases, neutrophils work around the clock

Scientists were able to track over time what happens in molecular biology from the onset of infection to organ damage

19-Jun-2024 - The course of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections depends not only on how aggressive the virus is, but also on the immune response of the infected individual. Using single-cell analyses, a group of researchers led by Samantha Praktiknjo of the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Markus ...

Genetic mosaicism more common than thought

"It is simply astounding how much previously undiscovered heterogeneity there is in our genomes"

30-May-2024 - Blood stem cells from healthy people show chromosomal changes, as researchers from the Max Delbrück Center and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory report. This suggests that genetic mosaics could contribute to age-related diseases. In a study led by Professor Jan Korbel, senior scientist ...

Captain T Cell secures seed financing round

Start-up develops first-in-class efficacy-enhanced TCR-T cells for solid tumors that are not addressed by existing therapies

28-May-2024 - Captain T Cell, a spin-off from the Max Delbrück Center, raised €8.5 million in startup funding. The startup focuses on developing T cells to target solid tumors. The funds are intended to move a new generation of T cell therapies towards the clinic. Captain T Cell GmbH announced the successful ...

Computer-engineered DNA to study cell identities

“We can follow with our eyes the color in a petri dish when we give a treatment”

12-Feb-2024 - A new computer program allows scientists to design synthetic DNA segments that indicate, in real time, the state of cells. Reported by the Gargiulo lab in “Nature Communications”, it will be used to screen for anti-cancer or viral infections drugs, or to improve gene and cell-based ...