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We address fundamental questions in developmental biology: How are we made? How are cell identities defined and maintained in order to provide the right cell type at the right time for proper development? What are the central molecular players for cell-fate choice? Our main research efforts focus on some of the first differentiation decisions taken during embryonic stem cell commitment.
The Leeboratory approaches cell fate choice from multiple angles. We study epigenetics, RNA biology and signalling to pursue a holistic approach to understand differentiation. We use genetics and high-throughput methodology combined with systems biology approaches to delineate the molecular rules of cell-fate decision. Embryonic stem cells and various differentiation strategies are our main experimental model systems.
Martin performed his PhD thesis in the Wutz lab at the IMP in Vienna. From 2011 to 2015 he was a post-doc in the lab of Austin Smith at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. Since 2015 he is group leader and since 2021 Associate Professor at the Max Perutz Labs where the Leeboratory works on deciphering the molecular control of cell fate decisions.
Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9
1030 Vienna
Room: 3.123/3.125
+43-1-4277-74644
In 2011, together with Anton Wutz, we reporter the first stable and fully pluripotent haploid mouse ES cell lines. This breakthrough discovery has since enabled a multitude of genetic screens and has also been instrumental in high resolution single cell based nuclear structures as well as the birth of monoparental mice.
In 2014 we utilized the potential of haploid ES cells in an insertional mutagenesis screen to identify genes that regulate the first cell fate decision in ES cell differentiation, the exit from pluripotency. We showed that haploid ES cells are a highly efficient platform for genetic screens in a developmentally relevant context.
In 2010 we showed that both polycomb complexes act in parallel and in a redundant manner to repress developmental control genes and also genomic repeat elements in ES cells. This paper challenged the sequential recruitment model of PRC activity.
Michael Bindl
PhD Student +43-1-4277-61645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Stefania Bucconi
Technician +43-1-4277-74645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Luis Miguel Cerron Alvan
PhD Student +43-1-4277-74645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Michelle Huth
PhD Student +43-1-4277-74645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Martin Leeb
Group Leader +43-1-4277-74644
Room: 3.123/3.125
Michael Oberhuemer
PhD Student +43-1-4277-74645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Johanna Piringer
Diploma/Master Student +43-1-4277-
Room: 3.123/3.125
Mattia Pitasi
PhD Student +43-1-4277-61645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Laura Santini
PhD Student +43-1-4277-61645
Room: 3.123/3.125
Katharina Wiener
Diploma/Master Student +43-1-4277-61645
Room: 3.123/3.125
NMD is required for timely cell fate transitions by fine-tuning gene expression and regulating translation.
Huth, Michelle; Santini, Laura; Galimberti, Elena; Ramesmayer, Julia; Titz-Teixeira, Fabian; Sehlke, Robert; Oberhuemer, Michael; Stummer, Sarah; Herzog, Veronika; Garmhausen, Marius; Romeike, Merrit; Chugunova, Anastasia; Leesch, Friederike; Holcik, Laurenz; Weipoltshammer, Klara; Lackner, Andreas; Schoefer, Christian; von Haeseler, Arndt; Buecker, Christa; Pauli, Andrea; Ameres, Stefan L; Smith, Austin; Beyer, Andreas; Leeb, Martin
Genomic imprinting in mouse blastocysts is predominantly associated with H3K27me3.
Santini, Laura; Halbritter, Florian; Titz-Teixeira, Fabian; Suzuki, Toru; Asami, Maki; Ma, Xiaoyan; Ramesmayer, Julia; Lackner, Andreas; Warr, Nick; Pauler, Florian; Hippenmeyer, Simon; Laue, Ernest; Farlik, Matthias; Bock, Christoph; Beyer, Andreas; Perry, Anthony C F; Leeb, Martin
Cooperative genetic networks drive embryonic stem cell transition from naïve to formative pluripotency.
Lackner, Andreas; Sehlke, Robert; Garmhausen, Marius; Giuseppe Stirparo, Giuliano; Huth, Michelle; Titz-Teixeira, Fabian; van der Lelij, Petra; Ramesmayer, Julia; Thomas, Henry F; Ralser, Meryem; Santini, Laura; Galimberti, Elena; Sarov, Mihail; Stewart, A Francis; Smith, Austin; Beyer, Andreas; Leeb, Martin
Genetic exploration of the exit from self-renewal using haploid embryonic stem cells.
Leeb, Martin; Dietmann, Sabine; Paramor, Maike; Niwa, Hitoshi; Smith, Austin
Derivation of haploid embryonic stem cells from mouse embryos.
Leeb, Martin; Wutz, Anton
Polycomb complexes act redundantly to repress genomic repeats and genes.
Leeb, Martin; Pasini, Diego; Novatchkova, Maria; Jaritz, Markus; Helin, Kristian; Wutz, Anton
The Leeb Group is supported through the "Vienna Research Groups for Young Investigators" program.
The Group Leeb is a member of the special Doctoral Program "Signaling Mechanisms in Cellular Homeostasis" reviewed and funded by the Austrian Research Fund FWF.
Mechanisms of endo-mesodermal lineage choice (P35637; 2022-2025)
Execution of cell fate choice by cooperative gene activities (I5958; cooperation with Prof. Andreas Beyer, CECAD Cologne; 2023-2026)
Regulation of ES cell differentiation by NMD (P 31334; 2019-2022)
Systems Level Analysis of ES Cell Differentiation (I 3786; 2019-2021)
Schroedinger return fellowship: "Mechanisms of ES cell differentiation"
From chromosome folding by loop extrusion to anti-plasmid nucleases in bacteria
11:00 - 12:00
IMBA/GMI Lecture HallIdentifying and exploiting cell-state dependent metabolic programs
11:00 - 12:00 IMP Lecture HallMind matters. VBC mental health awareness
13:30 - 14:30 IMP Lecture HallChromosomes as Mechanical Objects: from E.coli to Meiosis to Mammalian cells
11:00 - 12:00 IMBA/GMI Lecture HallConvergent evolution of CO2-fixing liquid-liquid phase separation
11:30 - 12:30 GMI Orange Seminar RoomViral envelope engineering for cell type specific delivery
16:00 - 17:00 IMP Seminar Room 1.014/16New ways of leading: inclusive leadership and revising academic hierarchies
14:15 - 15:15 IMP Lecture HallTitle to be announced
14:00 - 15:00 Lecture Hall AandB, VBC5Decoding Molecular Plasticity in the Dark Proteome of the Nuclear Pore Complex
11:00 - 12:00 IMBA/GMI Lecture HallNeurodiversity in academia
14:00 - 15:00 IMP Lecture HallGene expression dynamics during the awakening of the zygotic genome
11:00 - 12:00 IMBA/GMI Lecture HallTitle to be announced
11:00 - 12:00