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Physiological processes are driven by the coordinated action of organs, tissues and cells. Coordination of these activities allows organisms to respond appropriately to their changing environment. Within cells themselves, important metabolic processes are often compartmentalised by membranes, which necessitates the flow of information between compartments. How is this information integrated into the appropriate downstream response? We try to understand the basic principles that govern the flow of information in cells with particular emphasis on the role of lipid second messengers. By understanding the mechanisms by which these signals are transduced and propagated, we can better answer why and how things go wrong in disease.
We study how lipids regulate the activity of signaling enzymes, including both protein kinases and phosphatases. We use biochemical and cell biological assays supported by biophysical and structural techniques to deduce how, where, and when the signal is transduced. Our work is underpinned by quantitative biochemistry performed with precisely defined macromolecules. The insights we derive have the potential to rationalize disease pathogenesis at the molecular and atomic levels. For example, in the pro-growth and survival kinase Akt, we have characterized the mechanism by which a mutation associated with cancer and overgrowth disorders leads to kinase activity that is both spatially and temporally de-regulated. Determining how specific mutations drive the development of disease is essential for effective therapeutic intervention.
Thomas studied Biochemistry at the University of Bristol, U.K. before obtaining a PhD in Structural Biology at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Thomas moved to the USA in 2005 as an EMBO postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD and started his own lab as an independent investigator at the Max Perutz Labs in 2012.
The regulation of protein kinase activity by activation loop phosphorylation is a well-characterized mechanism. Protein kinases that auto-phosphorylate usually do so in trans: dimerization results in reciprocal phosphorylation of the activation loop by the other protomer. However, we have discovered that Protein Kinase D (PKD) has evolved the inverse solution to the same problem. PKD is an inactive dimer that is activated by kinase domain dissociation followed by cis-autophosphorylation (Reinhardt et al, PNAS, 2023).
The myotonic dystrophy kinases of the DMPK family are conserved regulators of actomyosin contractility. The four prototypical DMPK members are obligate homodimers with a conserved architecture of N-terminal kinase domains, a central coiled-coil, and C-terminal membrane binding domains. Remarkably, the length of the coiled-coil domain of each family member varies between 10 and 145 nm, but is astonishingly well conserved. We present a model in which the activity of these kinases is regulated by their spatial positioning with respect to the membrane (Truebestein et al, Structure, 2023).
Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is an essential protein kinase that controls cellular and organismal growth. We have elucidated the mechanism by which PDK1 is activated by phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) at the plasma membrane in response to growth factor-mediated activation of cell surface receptors. Our work reveals previously unknown mechanisms of autoinhibition and trans-autoactivation, with opportunities for the development of novel therapeutics in the treatment of cancer (Levina et al, Nature Communications, 2022).
© Illustration by Dorotea Fracchiolla (Art&Science)
The lipid second messengers PI(3,4,5)P3 and PI(3,4)P2 have long been known to activate Akt by recruiting it to membranes, where it is activated by phosphorylation. We have determined the structure of autoinhibited Akt1, revealing the molecular basis of a disease-causing mutation in the PH domain which gives rise to Proteus Syndrome and some cancers. Phosphorylation is insufficient to fully activate Akt1. Our work implies that Akt signaling is restricted to discrete membrane locations in the cell (Truebestein et al, PNAS, 2021).
Serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 3 (Sgk3) is activated by the phospholipid phosphatidylinsoitol 3-phosphate (PI3P) in the PI3 kinase pathway. Up-regulation of Sgk3 activity has increasingly been implicated in cancers that exhibit paradoxically low Akt activity. We have discovered that Sgk3 is dependent on PI3P for its activity, which restricts its activity to PI3P-rich endosomes in cells. We have biochemically reconstituted Sgk3 activation downstream of the class III PI 3-kinase Vps34 in vitro (Pokorny et al, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2021).
Protein Kinase D (PKD) is an essential ser/thr kinase involved in vesicular transport of cargo from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane. We have discovered a novel, ubiquitin-like domain in PKD that mediates its dimerization on diacylglycerol-containing membranes, thereby driving trans-autophosphorylation and activation of its kinase domain (Elsner et al, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2019).
The protein kinase Akt integrates signals from membrane-embedded lipid second messengers and signals in the form of phosphorylation by upstream protein kinases. We have shown that one without the other is insufficient for Akt activation and that membrane dissociation triggers rapid dephosphorylation and inactivation of Akt (Lučić et al, PNAS, 2018).
We recently demonstrated that the activity of a protein kinase called Akt, which promotes cell growth and proliferation, is strictly governed by the engagement of two specific lipids in cell membranes (Ebner & Lučić et al, Molecular Cell, 2017). Bypassing this requirement leads to uncontrolled growth and cancer.
We have discovered an allosteric switch in the Src and Tec kinases that converts them into active enzymes by promoting the exchange of ADP for ATP (von Raußendorf et al, Scientific Reports, 2017). The switch depends on recognition of a polyproline motif in the tail of activated receptors at the plasma membrane.
Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) is a key signal transducer in regulating the cytoskeleton. Substrate engagement is controlled by the precise positioning of its kinase domains, which is achieved via a long coiled-coil domain that bridges its membrane binding domains to its kinase domains (Truebestein et al., Nature Communications, 2016).
Membranes are sites of intense signaling activity in eukaryotic cells. Essential processes such as autophagy, cytokinesis, exo- and endo- cytosis, and cytoskeletal remodeling depend on signal propagation at cellular membranes. Dysregulation of signal transduction at these sites is the cause of a number of hereditary and non-hereditary diseases, including Coffin-Lowry syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia, myotonic dystrophy, and various cancers. Over 500 kinases and 130 phosphatases regulate signal transduction by phosphorylating or dephosphorylating their target proteins. Given that the chemistry of phosphoryl transfer is conserved, there is a clear need for compartmentalization of what are essentially the same chemical reactions.
One of the most important consequences of the activation of cell surface receptors is the generation of small molecule second messengers. In addition to the freely diffusible second messengers such as cAMP and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), a number of cellular second messengers are lipids. Despite being of fundamental importance to the exquisite spatial and temporal regulation of many cellular processes, the molecular mechanisms of lipid-mediated signal transduction are not well understood. Our goal is to understand how lipid second messengers can turn on signaling pathways at the membrane. To achieve this, we are using a spectrum of biophysical (including X-ray crystallography), biochemical, and cell biological techniques. Fundamentally, we aim to describe signal transduction processes with deep mechanistic insight. By combining structure with quantitative in vitro biochemistry on rigorously validated samples, we can probe the structure-function relationship in absolute terms.
Many of the lipid responsive human protein kinases belong to the AGC family of kinases, of which paradigmatic lipid-activated kinases are Akt, PDK1 and Sgk3. In 2017 we demonstrated the allosteric activation of Akt by the lipid second messengers PI(3,4,5)P3 and PI(3,4)P2 for the first time. A mutation in the kinase domain associated with cancer and overgrowth disorders of the brain causes Akt hyperactivation by relieving autoinhibition (Ebner and Lučić et al., Molecular Cell 2017). We have since described the mechanism of activation in more detail (Truebestein et al., PNAS 2021) and characterized the allosteric coupling between PH domain-mediated autoinhibition and the inactivation of Akt by dephosphorylation (Lučić et al., PNAS 2018). Conceptually, Akt can be thought of as an AND gate that integrates multiple signals to drive the biological response.
Similarly, Sgk3 employs similar mechanisms of autoinhibition and allosteric activation to drive signaling downstream of the lipid second messenger PI3P. Like Akt, Sgk3 exhibits an inactive conformation in the absence of PI3P in which the PI3P-binding pocket is sequestered in an intramolecular interface between the regulatory and kinase domains (Pokorny et al, Journal of Biological Chemistry 2021). Akt and Sgk3 activities are thereby restricted, exclusively, to those membranes in the cell where they can be activated by their cognate lipids.
Protein kinases are often activated by autophosphorylation of a key residue in their activation loop that drives catalytic activity. Mechanistically, this reaction may occur in trans or in cis. In 2019, we determined the structure of a novel ubiquitin-like domain in Protein Kinase D (PKD) which mediates its dimerization (Elsner et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry 2019). PKD, however, is maintained in an inactive conformation by dimerization and relief of this trans-autoinhibition leads to activation loop autophosphorylation in cis (Reinhardt et al., PNAS 2023). PKD is an essential mammalian kinase involved in trafficking of cargo destined for secretion from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane.
In a parallel study on phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), which is a master regulator of growth factor signaling, we have determined the mechanism of its activation by PIP3-elicited dimerization and trans-autophosphorylation (Levina et al., Nature Communications 2022). These studies showcase how nature has employed common strategies, such as dimerization and activation loop phosphorylation, in different ways to control signal transduction.
In work on the Tec and Src family tyrosine kinases, we have revealed a previously unknown switch in nucleotide binding that drives kinase activation (von Raußendorf et al., Sci Rep 2017). Here nature utilizes ADP, the product of the kinase reaction, to stabilize and maintain the inactive conformation. Upon triggering of the conformational changes required for kinase activation, these kinases lose their strict preference for ADP, which is then rapidly exchanged for ATP in the cell. The binding of ADP in the inactive conformation serves to insulate the kinase from promiscuous activity, while activation drives the exchange of ADP for the ATP required for substrate phosphorylation.
We are also interested in how signal transduction pathways are organized. Scaffolding of signaling proteins in the same pathway enhances specificity, promotes signal amplification by reducing noise, and, ultimately, improves signal propagation through the pathway. Membranes act as the scaffolds for many signaling reactions, including those involved in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton (Truebestein et al., Nature Communications 2016; Truebestein et al., Structure 2023). Our studies are aimed at understanding how diverse signals are integrated, how substrate specificity is encoded not just at the kinase level, and the influence of the membrane environment on multi-component signaling hubs. This is an exciting area of research with frontiers in ageing, cancer, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and obesity.
Congratulations to Eva Krötenheerdt, who has won the 2024 VBC PhD Program ‘Out of the Box’ Award. Eva, together with Julia Kober (Ramundo Lab, GMI), proposed an innovative approach to build single molecule reaction chambers, which they hope to use to resolve a long-standing question in kinase biology: do kinases autophosphorylate in cis or trans? The project’s interdisciplinary, inter-institute collaboration, and potential for high-impact discoveries convinced the jury!
If you are interested in the mechanisms by which cells faithfully execute their metabolic and developmental programs, you are right at home in the Leonard Lab. We are interested in smart, motivated, and ambitious people who want to understand, at a molecular and mechanistic level, how cells signal with high fidelity in space and time. We are hiring at the Master, PhD and Postdoc levels, so please reach out to us if you want to learn more!
Congratulations to Lucas Piëch, who has been awarded the Max Perutz PhD Fellowship for his proposal on PDK1. PDK1 is an essential kinase that regulates cellular and organismal growth. Lucas is interested in the mechanisms by which PDK1 is kept inactive in the absence of a signal and, conversely, how it is activated at the plasma membrane.
Ronja defended her PhD thesis with an outstanding explanation of kinase activation by autophosphorylation that was understandable to a non-expert audience. Ronja's work on Protein Kinase D (PKD) has revealed an unexpected mechanism of kinase regulation by trans-autoinhibition, which is relieved by a combination of membrane binding and cis-autophosphorylation. Ronja's work has major implications for the regulation of other protein kinases that are widely believed to be activated by trans-autophosphorylation.
In this Review Article, just published in eLife, we examine the mechanistic basis for protein kinase activation by autophosphorylation. We critically evaluate the evidence for both cis (intramolecular) and trans (intermolecular) mechanisms, summarise the advantages and pitfalls of common experimental approaches, and encourage more quantitative and specific reporting.
In this Review Article, just published in Developmental Cell, Thomas Leonard, Martin Loose and Sascha Martens discuss membrane-localized reactions with a particular focus on insights derived from reconstituted systems. The authors explain how the interplay of regulatory proteins results in the self-organization of cellular factors, their condensation, assembly, and activity.
The PI is perfectly normal - honestly. 2 years after his students bought him a bungee jump for becoming a tenured Professor at the Max Perutz Labs, Thomas thanked them all and stepped off Jauntalbrücke in Carinthia, Austria for a 96 m plunge towards the river below. Sadly, none of his students could be convinced to jump with him. Check out the video to see what students can do for their PI!
Structure and regulation of the myotonic dystrophy kinase-related Cdc42-binding kinase.
Truebestein, Linda; Antonioli, Sumire; Waltenberger, Elisabeth; Gehin, Charlotte; Gavin, Anne-Claude; Leonard, Thomas A
PKD autoinhibition in trans regulates activation loop autophosphorylation in cis.
Reinhardt, Ronja; Hirzel, Kai; Link, Gisela; Eisler, Stephan A; Hägele, Tanja; Parson, Matthew A H; Burke, John E; Hausser, Angelika; Leonard, Thomas A
Activation of the essential kinase PDK1 by phosphoinositide-driven trans-autophosphorylation.
Levina, Aleksandra; Fleming, Kaelin D; Burke, John E; Leonard, Thomas A
Structure of autoinhibited Akt1 reveals mechanism of PIP3-mediated activation.
Truebestein, Linda; Hornegger, Harald; Anrather, Dorothea; Hartl, Markus; Fleming, Kaelin D; Stariha, Jordan T B; Pardon, Els; Steyaert, Jan; Burke, John E; Leonard, Thomas A
In vitro reconstitution of Sgk3 activation by phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate.
Pokorny, Daniel; Truebestein, Linda; Fleming, Kaelin D; Burke, John E; Leonard, Thomas A
A ubiquitin-like domain controls Protein Kinase D dimerization and activation by trans-autophosphorylation.
Elsner, Daniel J; Siess, Katharina M; Gossenreiter, Thomas; Hartl, Markus; Leonard, Thomas A
Conformational sampling of membranes by Akt controls its activation and inactivation.
Lučić, Iva; Rathinaswamy, Manoj K; Truebestein, Linda; Hamelin, David J; Burke, John E; Leonard, Thomas A
PI(3,4,5)P3 Engagement Restricts Akt Activity to Cellular Membranes
Michael Ebner, Iva Lučić, Thomas A. Leonard, and Ivan Yudushkin
A molecular ruler regulates cytoskeletal remodelling by the Rho kinases
Truebestein, L., Elsner, D.J., Fuchs, E., Leonard, T.A.
Project title: 'Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1: master growth regulator' (P 36212)
Project title: 'PI3K signaling- navigating upstream and downstream of Akt' (P 33066)
Project title: 'Structure, function and regulation of Protein Kinase D' (P 30584)
The Leonard Group is a member of the special doctoral program 'Signaling Mechanisms in Cellular Homeostasis (W1261)', reviewed and funded by the Austrian Science Fund (renewed for second funding period, 2021-2025).
Project title: 'Microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinases in health and disease' (P 36724)
Project title: 'PHLPP – elucidating the mechanism of action of a tumor suppressor phosphatase' (BG 05/2023)
Structure and Dynamics of the envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1 during Fusion
Date: 2025-01-09, Time: 15:00:00, Speaker: Sergi Padilla-Parra, Location: Lecture Hall B, VBC5 & Zoom, Type: Seminar Series on Modern Concepts in Structural Biology, Institute: King's College London, Host: Thomas Juffmann
Cancer aneuploidy: From selection pressures to cellular vulnerabilities
Date: 2025-01-09, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Uri Ben-David, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Tel Aviv University, Host: Anna Obenauf
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-01-13, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KRASNOVID Filipp (Mari-Ordonez)ROTHE Patricia (Plaschka)KROGULL Daniel (Burga), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host:
The hidden gems of antiviral immune systems in bacteria
Date: 2025-01-16, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Stan Brouns, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Delft University of Technology, Host: Irma Querques
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-01-20, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: VICIC Ziga (Jachowicz)GRÜNEWALD Jakob (Obenauf)MANOLOVA Toni (Falk), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host:
Deriving a genetic regulatory network from an optimization principle
Date: 2025-01-23, Time: 14:00:00, Speaker: Gasper Tkacik, Location: Lecture Hall B, VBC5 & Zoom, Type: Seminar Series on Modern Concepts in Structural Biology, Institute: ISTA, Host: Bojan Zagrovic
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-01-23, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Anais Cario, Location: UBB - Lecture Hall 2 & Zoom, Type: DOME Lecture Series, Institute: French National Centre for Scientific Research, Host: Hayk Palabikyan
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-01-23, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Anne Bertolotti, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: MCR Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Host: Egon Ogris
Size Matters: The unique exocytosis mechanism of large secretory vesicles
Date: 2025-01-27, Time: 10:00:00, Speaker: Ori Avinoam, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: IMP Impromptu Seminar, Institute: Weizmann Institute, Host: Andi Pauli
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-01-27, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: WILLIAMS Thomas (Clausen)SCARAMUZZA Federico (Tessmar)WALTER Mateusz (Querques), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Decidualisation of human endometrium: from evolutionary insights to novel mechanisms of disease
Date: 2025-01-28, Time: 13:15:00, Speaker: Jan Brosens, Location: UBB - Lecture Hall 1, Type: Interaction and Evolution of Organisms Seminar Series, Institute: University of Warwick, Host: Mihaela Pavlicev
Design of New Protein Functions Using Deep Learning
Date: 2025-01-29, Time: 18:00:00, Speaker: David Baker, Location: Zoom, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: University of Washington School, Host: Alwin Köhler
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-01-30, Time: 14:00:00, Speaker: Marcus Taylor, Location: Lecture Hall B, VBC5 & Zoom, Type: Seminar Series on Modern Concepts in Structural Biology, Institute: Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Host: Ivan Yudushkin
Reactive Tracers in Chemical Substances: Compound-specific Isotope Analysis to Characterize Transformation of Organic Compounds
Date: 2025-01-30, Time: 12:00:00, Speaker: Martin Elsner, Location: Zoom, Type: CeMESS Lecture Series, Institute: Technical University of Munich, Host: Thilo Hofmann
Transposable elements in development and reprogramming
Date: 2025-01-30, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Host: Julius Brennecke
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-02-03, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: CRUZ Joseph (Gerlich)GHEORGHITA Andreea (Clausen)GALUSKA Philipp (Djinovic), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host:
Deciphering driving forces of cell fate decision at single-cell resolution in time and space
Date: 2025-02-04, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Dominic Gruen, Location: GMI Orange Seminar Room, Type: Impromptu Seminar, Institute: University of Würzburg, Host: Alex Stark
Exploring dynamic regulation and function of the nuclear lamina
Date: 2025-02-05, Time: 10:30:00, Speaker: Abigail Buchwalter, Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Impromptu Seminar, Institute: UCSF, Host: David Haselbach
Ectomycorrhizal fungi as drivers of forest ecosystem processes
Date: 2025-02-06, Time: 12:00:00, Speaker: Filipa Coxx, Location: UBB - Lecture Hall 2 & Zoom, Type: CeMESS Lecture Series, Institute: University of Manchester, Host: Mark Anthony
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-02-06, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Thibaut Brunet, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Institut Pasteur, University Paris-Cite, Host: Fred Berger
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-02-10, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: GRIGOREVA Elizaveta (Nordborg)KOHOUTKOVA Eliska (Clausen)STEINACKER Thomas (Gerlich), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-02-13, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Jeff Boeke, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: NYU Langdone Health, Host: Fred Berger
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-02-17, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: RAFFL Gerald (Ameres)VULIN Milica (Obenauf)FISCHER Andre (Tanaka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Defining the autism cell phenotypic landscape
Date: 2025-02-20, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Gaia Novarino, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: ISTA, Host: Dea Slade
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-02-24, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BAYERL Jonas (Zuber)ZABOLOCKI Michael (Knoblich)EDER Stephanie (Zimmer), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-02-27, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Cedric Feschotte, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Cornell University, Host: Joanna Jachowicz
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-03-03, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KROETENHEERDT Eva (Leonard)RÖHSNER Josef (Pauli)RIABOV Daria (Plaschka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-03-06, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Zach Smith, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: Impromptu Seminar, Institute: MIT, Host: Joanna Jachowicz
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-03-10, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: CHO Chung Hyun (Berger)SEIDL Carina (Tanaka)MIGOTTI Mario (Konrat), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-03-11, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Joaquina Delas, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: Impromptu Seminar, Institute: University College London, Host: Diana Pinheiro, Alex Stark
SY-Stem
Date: 2025-03-12, Time: 09:00:00, Speaker: , Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Symposium, Institute: None, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-03-17, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: CHEN Shenzhi (Stark)BINDL Michael (Leeb)JÄGER Martin (Obenauf), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Unravelling the inner secrets of cells with live-cell super-resolution microscopy
Date: 2025-03-19, Time: 10:00:00, Speaker: Francesca Bottanelli, Location: Lecture Hall A, VBC 5, Type: Impromptu Seminar, Institute: Freie Universität Berlin, Host: Jonas Ries
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-03-20, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Geert Kops, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Hubrecht Institute, Host: Joao Matos
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-03-24, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: MAYA Juan (Balzarotti)DOSA Anna (Clausen)KOBER Julia (Ramundo), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-03-27, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Martin Beck, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Host: Alwin Köhler
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-03-31, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: HOLZER Elisabeth (Martens)THEMANN Jan (Knoblich)GROSS Angelina (Dagdas), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-04-03, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Rotem Sorek, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Weizmann Institute, Host: Sebastian Falk
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-04-07, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: GROH Roan (Dagdas)CHAO Victor (Huis)KHANDEKAR Ameya (Ellis), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
"Tiles of Life" Symposium
Date: 2025-04-10, Time: 09:00:00, Speaker: , Location: IMP Lecture Hall , Type: Symposium, Institute: None, Host: SMICH community
Tiles of Life - Student Symposium
The symposium will explore the intricate "tiles" that form the vast and diverse fields of molecular biology and aims to foster discussions and inspire collaborations by bringing the “tiles of life” together. The program includes several talks by esteemed and international speakers sharing their latest findings to link the molecular mosaic of the cell - from structures to organisms. Additionally, we will highlight the research of the SMICH community on campus by complementing the program with student talks.
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-04-14, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: OKUN Anastasia (Karagöz)COLLISON Robert (Ramundo)WELZL Paul (Balzarotti/Plaschka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-04-24, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Maria Cristina Gambetta, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: University of Lausanne, Host: Anton Goloborodko
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-04-25, Time: 10:30:00, Speaker: Takshi Hiragi, Location: IMP Seminar Room 1.014/16, Type: IMP Impromptu Seminar, Institute: Hubrecht Institute, Host: Diana Pinheiro
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-04-28, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: SUWITA Johannes (Pauli)GRABARCZYK Daniel (Clausen)PANDA Aswini (Falk), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-05-05, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KIM Olena (Knoblich)JOB Nikhil (Dolan)ADELMANN Leonie (Raible), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Microsymposium on RNA Biology'
Date: 2025-05-07, Time: 09:00:00, Speaker: , Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Symposium, Institute: None, Host: None
EMBO meeting on RNA meets Protein decay
Date: 2025-05-11, Time: 14:00:00, Speaker: , Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Symposium, Institute: None, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-05-12, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: SCIBISZ Grzegorz (Karagöz)VAN GENDEREN Emiel (Rivron)BOZKURT Miray (Tanaka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-05-15, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Chuna Ram Choudhary, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: University of Copenhagen, Host: Alex Stark
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-05-19, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: POTTENDORFER Elisabeth (Obenauf)WALLNER Eva-Sophie (Dolan)BECKER Moritz (Leeb), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-05-22, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Manuel Leonetti, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: CZ Biohub San Francisco, Host: Elif Karagöz
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-05-26, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: DIMITROVA Polina (Van der Veeken)STRAVS Ana (Knoblich)SCHÖNLEIN Martin (Obenauf), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-06-02, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: SABATH Kevin (Plaschka/Stark)MANCHENO JUNCOSA Estela (Mendjan)HORENKAMP Simone (Tanaka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-06-12, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Stefan Mundlos, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Host: Julius Brennecke
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-06-16, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BERGER Sonja (Goloborodko)KOWALD Saskia (Gaidt)KAPRAL Thomas (Zagrovic), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-06-18, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Yale University, Host: Joris Van der Veeken
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-06-23, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BUCHERON Chloe (Menche)KRUMWIEDE Luisa (Gaidt)PACHANO Tomas (Stark), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-06-30, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: SCHINDLER Lukas (Schlögelhofer)MANDLBURGER Nikolaus (Stark)OTTO Magdalena (Leonard), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-07-03, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Matthias Mann, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Host: Marco Hein
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-07-07, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: TRUS Palina (Peters)KOBAKHIDZE George (Dong)KONGSTED Thea (Dolan), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-07-10, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Simon Alberti, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: TU Dresden, Host: Erinc Hallacli
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-07-14, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: RUSCH Emma (Golobordko)VELIKOV Daniel (Matos)VOGEL Alexander (Clausen/Yudushkin), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-07-21, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: ANGELOPOULOU Eleni (Ellis)SCHAFFER Petra (Grade)RAMIREZ America (Köhler), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-07-28, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: DIMITRIADI Anna (Mendjan)LEITNER Moritz (Martinez)BRADAMANTE Gabriele (Biooptics), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-08-04, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: LI Wenxin (Zimmer)FISCHER Felix (Zagrovic)ABESAMIS Kim Ivan (Dong), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-08-11, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KLEIFELD Justus (Urban)MCATEER Tara (Pinheiro)BHATTACHARYA Mrinnanda (Zimmer), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-08-18, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BELL Lillie (Clausen)MIHAILOVIC Milica (Karagöz)GUYNES Keroshini (Jachowicz), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-08-25, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BOHL VIALLEFONT Gregoire (Nordborg)MARCHIORI Elisa (Van der Veeken)JAHNEL Stefan (Mendjan), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-09-01, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KIRCHGATTERER Paul (Gaidt)ACHLEITNER Sonja (Martens)KAYA Oguzhan (Knoblich), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-09-08, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: HUTH Michelle (Leeb)RADHAKRISHNA PILLAI Balashankar (Brennecke)REN Kaike (Otsuka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-09-15, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: GONZALEZ ALVARADO Maria Nazareth (Grade)KASHKO Nataliia (Matos)OBERHUEMER Michael (Leeb), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-09-18, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Katja Wassmann, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Institute Jacques Monod, Host: Joao Matos, Peter Schlögelhofer
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-09-22, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KONSTANTINOU Andri (Obenauf)HARTMANN Felix (Matos)JENTOFT Ida (Pauli), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-09-25, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Fabian Theis, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Munich, Host: Alex Stark
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-09-29, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: PAVLOVA Anzhela (Matos)SHARMA Sanskriti (Ellis)VETRANO Pamela (Ramundo), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-10-06, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: WIGHARD Sara Sylvia (Burga)PRLESI Ines (Gerlich)BECHT Nanette (Gaidt), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-10-09, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Alexander van Oudenaarden, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Hubrecht Institute, Host: Elly Tanaka
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-10-13, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: PIECH Lucas (Leonard)NABIH MOSTAFA Amena (Pauli)GREMMELMAIER Constanze (Plaschka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-10-16, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Anne Brunet, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Stanford University, Host: Andrea Pauli
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-10-20, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: KYPRIANOU Christos (Rivron)MOYSIADOU Sofia (Obenauf)GALLAGE CHANUKA POSHITHA Fernando (Zimmer), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-10-23, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Aydan Bulut-Karslioglu, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: MPI Berlin, Host: Joanna Jachowicz, Martin Leeb
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-10-27, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: IAROVENKO Svetlana (Brennecke)HIDAKA Takuya (Gerlich), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-10-30, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Kresten Lindorff-Larssen, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: University of Copenhagen, Host: David Haselbach
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-11-03, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: DIAS Ana Beatriz (Slade)VALERI Erika (Gaidt)CHATZIANGELOU Myrto (Stark), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-11-10, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: FRASZ Lisa-Maria (Obenauf)MYLARSHCHIKOV Dmitry (Gerlich)SAHA Sayantan (Huis), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Title to be announced
Date: 2025-11-13, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Jamie Hackett, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: EMBL Rome, Host: Joanna Jachowicz, Martin Leeb
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-11-17, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: PITASI Mattia (Leeb)FORBES Rebecca (Görke)MATURI Samuele (Grade), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
To be annouced
Date: 2025-11-20, Time: 11:00:00, Speaker: Noam Stern-Ginossar, Location: IMBA/GMI Lecture Hall, Type: VBC Regular Seminar, Institute: Weizmann Institute of Science, Host: Marco Hein
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-11-24, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: HEINZL Monika (Stark)MARTZIOS Panagiotis (Huis)BASTOS VENTURA Guilherme (Pinheiro), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-12-01, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: JONASSON Mattias (Bücker)KNAUDT Hannah (Haselbach), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2025-12-15, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BERKUN Kathleen (Hallacli)GRAF Max (Plaschka), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-01-12, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: BOHAUMILITZKY Lena (Pinheiro)SPEICHERT Katarzyna (Martens)NG Hing Pan (Ma), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-01-19, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: FARAWAY Rupert (Plaschka)ETHIER Elizabeth (Hallacli)RAINA Shiviya (Dammermann), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-01-26, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: WULF Paul Oliver (Tessmar)MISHRA Sachin (Stark)OGZUC Olivia (Querques), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-02-02, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: COSTANTINI Elena (Tanaka)VIOHL Niklas (Köhler)LEON-RUIZ Jesus (Dolan), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-02-09, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: MIOCIC-STOSIC Fran (Zagrovic)BELL Caelan (Gerlich)KLEINWAECHTER Ava (Slade), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-02-16, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: HOFMANN Maura (Van der Veeken)SEN Zeynep Begüm (Ma)ZEN PETISCO FIORE Ana Paula (Urban), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-02-23, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: JANKOWSKA Julia (Ameres)DOCAVO GARCIA Antonio (Jachowicz)HAONAN Bao (Dolan), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-03-02, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: RUSSETT Colleen (Berger)ZEILER Christine (Kovarik)HOLLAUS David (Gaidt), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None
Monday Seminar (Internal)
Date: 2026-03-09, Time: 12:30:00, Speaker: GUZMAN PEREZ Sebastian (Martinez)ROFFAY Chloe (Pinheiro)BHARDWAJ Vishakha (Schlögelhofer), Location: IMP Lecture Hall, Type: Monday Seminar, Institute: Open only to IMP/IMBA/GMI/Max Perutz Labs, Host: None