Celebrating seven new FWF Grants awarded to Vienna BioCenter Researchers

Daniel Grabarczyk
Structure and mechanism of the antiviral E3 ligase ZNFX1

Daniel Grabarczyk, Research Associate in the Clausen lab at the IMP, has been awarded a prestigious FWF Principal Investigator Project Grant to support his research into the molecular mechanisms of innate immunity against viruses. 

As our body’s first line of defence, innate immunity recognises danger signals associated with pathogens like bacteria and viruses, and acts immediately to block them, keeping us safe before other, more complex immune responses kick in. To better understand innate immunity, Grabarczyk will study the unique molecular properties of ZNFX1, a protein with an essential but still poorly understood role. Mutations in ZNFX1 disrupt cellular immune defence against viruses, leading to severe immunodeficiency. To better understand ZNFX1’s function in immunity, Grabarczyk’s project will explore its unusual enzymology.

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Erinc Hallacli
Significance of RNA Processing Bodies in Parkinson’s Disease
The project investigates a largely overlooked role of the PD-associated protein α-synuclein: its impact on mRNA regulation. While α-synuclein is best known for its effects on cell membranes, recent findings from the Hallacli lab reveal that it also interacts with P-bodies – small cellular compartments that process mRNAs post-transcriptionally. 

The project aims to understand how P-body-associated proteins influence mRNA dynamics in neurons, and whether manipulating α-synuclein produces similar effects. Using stem cell-derived brain cells and state-of-the-art RNA tracking techniques, the team hopes to uncover new insights into P-body dependent RNA regulation, with potential implications for the development of new therapeutics.

Pim Huis in 't Veld
Protein-DNA transactions on anaphase DNA bridges
The project explores how cells prevent dangerous DNA breaks during cell division. Sometimes, tiny DNA threads, known as anaphase bridges, form between chromosomes as they separate. If left unresolved, these fragile bridges can snap, leading to DNA damage and genome instability. Pim’s team will investigate how key proteins PICH, BLM, and TOP3A recognize and resolve these bridges. Funded for four years, this work could also offer new insights into the cellular repair systems that cancer cells exploit to survive.

Martin Leeb
Mechanisms of human pluripotency transitions
The project investigates how the post-implantation human epiblast forms during the peri-implantation period, a key developmental phase in which embryonic stem cells shift from a naïve to a formative pluripotent state. Leeb’s team will map the gene regulatory networks driving this transition, offering insights into the human-specific mechanisms that shape early embryogenesis.

Joao Matos  
Do metabolic enzyme polymers preserve ageing oocytes?
The project, funded through the FWF’s 1000 Ideas program, explores whether metabolic enzyme polymers – structures recently identified in yeast meiosis – could help maintain the health of oocytes in mammals. These cells undergo prolonged meiotic arrest in the ovary, often lasting for decades, yet their viability is essential for female fertility and the development of a healthy embryo. By studying how conserved enzymes such as ACSS1/2 and ALDH2 behave in mouse oocytes, the team aims to uncover mechanisms that protect these cells from age-related decline.

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Hannes Schmidt (Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research (TER))
SurfinSoil: Surfaces in soil predict bacterial functioning

Hannes Schmidt, Senior Scientist at TER, received funding from the Austrian Science Fund’s 1000 Ideas program (“Tausend Ideen”). 

His project ‘SurfinSoil: Surfaces in soil predict bacterial functioning’ aims to assess bacterial population densities within soil pore space by integrating microbial ecology with soil physics. Furthermore, the project will investigate if bacterial functioning can be predicted from spatial microscale parameters.

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Wolfram Weckwerth (Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology) 
Metabolism/Metagenomics in Radio-Immunotherapy combinations

Wolfram Weckwerth’s FWF-funded project in the category “International - Multilateral Initiatives” explores how cancer cell metabolism and the gut microbiome affect the success of combined immunotherapy and radiotherapy (RT). While immunotherapy shows promising results, only a fraction of patients benefit – highlighting the need for predictive biomarkers and better combination strategies. RT may boost immunotherapy by enhancing antigen presentation, but many clinical trials show limited results.

Drawing from their recent studies about novel metabolic immunocheckpoints which can be used to fight tumors, the team will perform cancer cell metabolomics and correlate this to treatment responses. They hypothesize that metabolic and immunophenotypic traits as well as the gut microbiome could serve as biomarkers for tailoring immunotherapy-RT combinations. Embedded in an international team with Germany, Spain, France, Turkey and Canada, the consortium will investigate more than 400 patients, applying metabolomic and metagenomic analyses to identify key indicators of response. These findings will inform optimized treatment strategies, tested in patient-derived and animal models. The project also investigates gut microbiota's role in enhancing CAR T cell therapy, with promising preclinical results.