Recent Research Highlights

From a loose string to a compact globule: scientists reshape our understanding of messenger RNA

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is the universal blueprint for protein production. Biology textbooks often depict mRNAs as an extended, string-like molecule that…

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"Guardian of the Cell": structure and key function of giant protein explained

The enormous protein BIRC6 plays an important role in preventing programmed cell death – earning BIRC6 the nickname “Guardian of the Cell”. Scientists…

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The dormant egg: scientists bring the ‘sleep mode’ of egg ribosomes to light

In animals, eggs serve as a stockpile that contains all the necessary components for the early stages of embryonic development. Ribosomes, the…

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Punching holes in the nucleus

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are the gateways between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. How the individual components assemble into a functional pore is…

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Awakening the genome

Researchers from the Tachibana lab show that the pioneer factor Nr5a2 can awaken the inactive genome in the early embryo. Part of this work was…

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A matter of time: scientists uncover secret behind lymphoma-associated mutations

The chromosomes in our B cells mutate and delete DNA fragments to diversify the sequences that encode antibodies. Occasionally, these rearrangements…

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Breaking down proteins: How starving cancer cells switch food sources

Cancer cells often grow in environments that are low in nutrients, and they cope with this by switching to using proteins as alternative “food”.…

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An atlas of the salamander brain and its regenerative abilities

An international team of scientists with key contributions by the lab of Elly Tanaka (IMP) has mapped out all cell types in the salamander forebrain.…

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How the genome is packed into chromosomes that can be faithfully moved during cell division

Researchers from the Gerlich Group at IMBA discovered a molecular mechanism that confers special physical properties to chromosomes in dividing human…

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BacPROTACs: antibiotics of the future

Bacterial infections cause hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. While bacterial epidemics are often restricted to low- and middle-income…

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Milestone in understanding regulation of gene transcription

The expression of our genes is tightly regulated by the action of enhancers, DNA sequences that activate the transcription of a gene into messenger…

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Not all brains are equal: Why the human brain is more vulnerable to disease

With the help of cerebral organoids, IMBA scientists were able to ascertain that Tuberous Sclerosis, a rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder,…

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