Main Topics

Mechanisms of Gene Expression 

• Chromatin structure and epigenetic modifications and maintenance of the genome
• Turning signals into messages – the complexity of gene regulation
• Translational control and protein turnover
• RNA processing and modifications
• Non-coding RNAs in gene regulation 

Membranes, Receptors & Bioenergetics

• Organelle dynamics and communication
• Autophagy and degradation
• Redox-regulation of biological activities
• Cellular growth control – from the membrane to the nucleus
• Lipid signaling and dynamics

Structural Biology and Biophysics

• Mechanisms of membrane transport
• Channels and transporters
• Protein mediated membrane deformation and penetration
• Monitoring protein conformational dynamics and movement
• From subcellular to molecular resolution

Systems Biology, Bioinformatics & Theoretical Biology

• Interspecies communication
• Molecular clocks
• Comprehensive models of metabolism and signaling
• Functional networks regulating cellular stress responses and ageing
• Systems biology in stem cells

Molecular Neuroscience

• Neuronal ion channels and their role in disease
• Mechanisms of nervous system development and regeneration
• Degeneration and ageing of the nervous system
• Molecular architecture and assembly of the synapse
• Control of neuronal function by regulating protein homeostasis

From Chemical Biology to Molecular Medicine

• Probing cellular function with small molecules
• Targeted cancer therapy
• Functional glycobiology – from mechanism to disease
• RNA-based disease mechanism and therapy
• Signal transduction in tumor development, differentiation and immune escape