News overview

A new study by Maria Colomé-Tatché and Nicolai Siegel shows how pathogens control changes in their cell surface to evade the immune system.

An international team led by Barbara Schraml has discovered that a particular type of immune cell acts more flexibly than previously thought.

A European team of researchers led by Magdalena Götz and Judith Fischer-Sternjak has identified a type of astrocyte in the white matter of the brain that has the potential to regenerate.

A team led by Silvia Cappello has discovered why misplaced neurons in the brain are overactive and lead to developmental disorders.

At the Science Slam "Riddles of Reproduction", our PhD candidates Tobias Schmidt and Jie Hua inspired the audience with exciting science.

The BMC's Core Facility Proteomics and the biotechnology company Origenis have received research funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

BMC sleep researcher Maria Robles receives this year's ‘Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award’ from the Sleep Research Society (SRS).

A team around Nicolai Siegel has uncovered how inter-chromosomal transcription hubs shape the 3D genome architecture.

The team around Prof. Sperandio, PD Dr. Monika Prünster and Dr. Matteo Napoli has uncovered a novel function of the protein heterodimer S100A8/A9 in neutrophils.

BMC group leader Gunnar Schotta and his team decode the epigenetic silencing of problematic retroviral gene sequences.

The traditional Christmas Market on 2 December brought the BMC community together to celebrate the end of the year in a festive atmosphere. St Nicholas and Santa Claus spiced things up with a special surprise.

On December 3, Shelley Berger of the University of Pennsylvania (USA) gave a talk as part of the seventh BMC Trailblazer Lecture on the subject of "Epigenetic and neuropeptide (re)programming of ant behavior."

Eisbach Bio receives prestigious "Texas Therapeutics Company Award".

Students dive into the world of biomedical research at our Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology.

Christian Haass is one of the 18 LMU researchers featured in "Highly Cited Researchers 2024", the latest publication analysis by Clarivate.

Dr Arek Kendirli (Kerschensteiner Lab) has been honored with the “Multiple Sclerosis Prize of the Eva and Helmer Lehmann Foundation".

Maria Colomé-Tatché receives funding to study cancer focusing on copy number variations.

A team around Nicolai Siegel obtains new insights into how the parasite Trypanosoma brucei eludes human immune defenses.

In T cells responding to pathogens, mTORC1 and ribosomal biogenesis regulate each other.

This special honor recognizes her outstanding contributions to brain research and her leading role in neural stem cell research.

In the summer, 70 colleagues from BMC took part in the "Stadtradeln" cycling challenge for the LMU.

On October 3, the Biomedical Center Munich opened its doors to curious children as part of the nationwide “Türen Auf” (Open Doors) event.

On October 2nd, Muzlifah Haniffa gave a lecture in our Trailblazer series. She shared fascinating insights into the development of the immune system that she studies at single-cell resolution using disruptive omics technologies.

Lisa Ann Gerdes and her team have shown that certain immune cells already play an important role in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS).

A team led by Silvia Cappello shows how developing brain cells communicate with each other through extracellular vesicles.

A BMC team with international colleagues has discovered how immune cells control megakaryocyte formation in bone marrow.

The Prix Forcheurs Jean-Marie Lehn 2024 was awarded to Sabine Liebscher (left in photo) at the French Embassy.

LMU against TUM - This year the BMC was represented by Team “Rainbowt” in eye-catching rainbow colours.

Magdalena Götz, Boyan Bonev and their teams have shown how glial cells are reprogrammed into neurons via epigenetic modifications.

Antje Grosche was awarded the Dr. Gaide AMD Research Award for her research in the field of age-related macular degeneration.

Andreas Ladurner is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Eisbach Bio GmbH. The company was able to secure USD 4.5 million to carry out a clinical study on the tumor-inhibiting molecule EIS-12656.

Stefan Stricker is part of a new European initiative to develop new technology for brain regeneration.

Christian Haass and team develop a new therapeutic approach for the severe condition that uses modified viruses to replace a missing protein in the brain.

Axel Imhof is the spokesperson for the new Research Focus "The Evolution of Incompatibilities. Molecular Mechanisms of Speciation" at LMU Centre for Advanced Studies.

Konstantin Hennis and Christian Wahl-Schott review the latest findings on the automaticity of the sinus node and the role of pacemaker channels.

Roland Immler, Markus Sperandio and colleagues provide evidence that sialylation of CCR3 by the sialyltranferase ST3Gal-IV is crucial for CCL11-binding to CCR3.

Five divisions and institutes at the BMC have successfully completed the certification process of the international "My Green Lab" program. Overall, the second-highest certification level "Platinum" was achieved.

Anne Krug and Maria Colomé-Tatché are part of the new EU-funded Yellow4FLAVI project, which is investigating the mode of action of the yellow fever vaccine.

On March 16th, over 2000 visitors took the opportunity to experience research at the BMC up close at the Open Day.

A new study led by Sabine Liebscher together with French research teams unravels a key role of the neuromodulator noradrenaline in pathological neuronal activity patterns in cortex of ALS patients.

On February 26th the BMC welcomed Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz to give a Trailblazer Lecture. The small lecture hall was filled to capacity for her talk "Imaging subcellular organelle structure, dynamics, and interactions".

Maria Robles and an international collaboration partner receive "Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Award" from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for a research project in neurobiology.

Ludger Klein and a Munich based research team have deciphered how B cells in the thymus actively contribute to building immune tolerance.

The CRC 1054 Cell Fate Decisions co-sponsored the international symposium “Harald von Boehmer Midwinter Conference (MWC) - Advances in Immunobiology” from 20-24 January with over 200 participants and 25 speakers.

The BMC uses the proceeds from its Christmas market to support children with life-threatening illnesses.

As part of a teacher training course, Stephan Kröger gives committed teachers an insight into his current research.

The Hector Foundation II honors Magdalena Götz with the Science Award 2023 for her outstanding research on stem cells and neurobiology.

At the BMC, we prioritize collaboration, people development, and scientific integrity. We have incorporated these values into our Code of Conduct and are excited to share with you our policies on gender equality, diversity, and scientific integrity.

A team led by Giacomo Masserdotti and Magdalena Götz has taken a further step towards direct neuronal reprogramming.

Antje Grosche is part of the new DFG research unit that is developing innovative approaches for the treatment of retinal diseases.

Mulled wine, punch and waffles: The BMC community enjoyed the festive atmosphere at the X-mas market on December 13th. The highlight of the evening was the performance by St. Nicholas and Santa Claus as a duo.

Sobek Stiftung verleiht Europas höchstdotierten Preis in der MS-Forschung an Professor Martin Kerschensteiner und Professor Thomas Korn.

Magdalena Götz und her team have discovered that, in the case of brain injuries, specific cells in the brain become active in disease situations, exhibiting properties of neural stem cells.

Prof Jörg Renkawitz, Janina Kroll and their team were able to demonstrate how fast migrating cells employ nuclear repositioning to flexibly navigate in microenvironments.

As part of the new study series "München - Stadt.Leben.Studieren." by the Münchner Bildungswerk, the senior citizens' academy visited the BMC.

Lena Burbulla was awarded the 2023 Parkinson's Prize of the Dingebauer Foundation for her research into the molecular basis of Parkinson's disease and innovative therapeutic approaches.

Dana Matzek receives the EPAA Refinement Award 2023 for her work on group housing of rabbits.

Monika Prünster, Markus Sperandio and team have demonstrated that important pro-inflammatory mediators are released into the blood very early in the immune response.

The SyNergy Cluster of Excellence is launching a new podcast series on dementia, multiple sclerosis and neuronal stemm cells, with the goal of making the science in this area accessible to the general public.

The Local Conference of Youth LCOY took place at the BMC on October 6th-8th, 2023. About 1,100 participants discussed and exchanged ideas with representatives from politics, science, and economy.

There was a great turnout for the fourth BMC Trailblazer Lecture on Oct. 13, 2023. Researchers from all over Munich came to listen to Xiaowei Zhuang (Harvard University) talk about "Spatially resolved single-cell genomics and cell atlas of the brain."

As part of the national "Sendung mit der Maus" WDR Door Opener Day, the Biomedical Center (BMC) opened its doors to a group of curious children ages 6 to 10 on October 3rd, 2023.

Core Facility Animal Models announces new collaboration with drug discovery start-up Iguana Biotechnology GmbH to test innovative vaccine candidate against Helicobacter pylori.

A team led by Martin Kerschensteiner and Naoto Kawakami uses CRISPR screening to provide a molecular explanation for T-cell infiltration into the central nervous system in MS.

A team led by Axel Imhof has discovered why an enzyme is important for the survival of fruit flies, even though it can shorten their lives under certain conditions.

Rodrigo Villaseñor has received one of the most prestigious research grants in Europe for his research on novel biomarkers for the early detection of cancer.

With over 10,000 bike kilometers, the BMC team set a strong and visible example for climate-friendly and healthy mobility in this year's City Cycling campaign.

New publication in Nature Metabolism by the Kerschensteiner and Misgeld teams.

Dr. Charlotte Blessing, former PhD student in the group of Prof. Andreas Ladurner, has been awarded the Dr. Hildegard and Heinrich Fuchs Prize for her dissertation.

Teams from the two Munich universities competed in the dragon boat race on the Olympic Lake on July 21 - and it wasn't just about speed.

Colorful and loud and delicious: The BMC celebrated its international and cultural diversity on July 13 with an after-work “Multiculti Potluck” in the inner courtyard.

Naoto Kawakami and team have shown that auto-aggressive T cells are activated in a specific area of the intestinal canal – and that activation is microbiome-dependent.

In their new study, Sabine Liebscher, Smita Saxena and their teams identify deficits in circuits of the cerebellum as important trigger of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1.

A team of LMU and TUM researchers led by Martin Kerschensteiner investigates which cells can repair myelin sheaths in the inflamed brain.

Adding long-chain fatty acids can thicken cell membranes and alter the activity of a key enzyme, as Edgar Dawkins, Harald Steiner and team have demonstrated in cell cultures.

Thomas Brocker, Jan Kranich and team show in a mouse model that extracellular vesicles boost T cells.

Erika Chacin, Christoph Kurat and team show: Correct packaging of DNA into chromatin is necessary for a cell’s ability to efficiently double its genome for cell division.

Lena Burbulla receives funding of over 0.5 million euros from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation.

A group of pupils from the Hochrhein Seminar for Mathematics and Natural Sciences swapped the classroom for the BMC labs for a day.

Specific antibodies are directed against the insulating layer around neurons. Simone Mader, Naoto Kawakami, Edgar Meinl and team have shown that the attack occurs via two different pathways.

“Young blood for old brains”: Tony Wyss-Coray from Stanford University gave the third Trailblazer Lecture. In this series, eminent scientists whose pioneering work opened new research perspectives are invited to the BMC.

Infections are under the most common causes of death in premature infants. Markus Sperandio and team study the immune system in those babies and what makes them so vulnerable to infections.

LMU Munich offers various support services to students affected by the earthquake in Turkey

On February 6, Markus Söder and other representatives from politics and the project team broke ground for the subway station on Campus Martinsried.

For his outstanding research on the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease Christian Haass received one of the Wissenschaftspreise 2022 of the Hector Stiftung.

The BMC donates the proceeds from the Christmas market to the charity Sternstunden, supporting projects for children.

The BMC Green Lab Initiative launches an information campaign with monthly facts and tips on sustainability in the lab.

In the first episode of the LMU video series “Moments of Choice – Academic Career Paths” Rodrigo Villaseñor reflects on important career decisions.