Two Advanced ERC Grants awarded to Vienna BioCenter Researchers

Dagmar Woebken - Windows of microbial activity in deserts afforded by non-rainwater (WinMicAct)

In her ERC-funded research project WinMicAct, Woebken together with a team of national and international collaborators will explore the importance of non-rainwater inputs for microbial activities and the preservation of microbial diversity. Furthermore, the project aims to estimate the contribution of these activities at the ecosystem level in comparison to rain-driven activity. The project will also consider expected changes in the pattern of rainfall and non-rainwater inputs due to climate change and can thus provide the basis for future investigations and modelling of climate change effects on ecosystem processes in drylands.

Learn more about her work here.

Alwin Köhler – The Nuclear Pore Complex: Bridging Membrane Remodelling and Lipid Metabolism (NPC-MEM)

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a highly selective gateway that regulates molecular traffic between the nucleus and cytoplasm. But its role goes further. NPCs are also membrane-remodeling machines: they bend, fuse, and stabilize the double membrane of the nuclear envelope to create large pores – remarkably, without compromising nuclear integrity. How they achieve this remains one of cell biology’s enduring mysteries.

With support from the ERC, Alwin Köhler and his team aim to uncover the physical and biochemical principles that enable NPCs to reshape the nuclear envelope. A key focus will be the role of nuclear lipid metabolism – specifically, how cells adjust the lipid composition of the nuclear envelope to permit sculpting by NPCs. Although still poorly understood, this process is increasingly recognized as central to nuclear organization and stability.

Learn more about his work here