MFPL at a glance 2015

at a glance

a joint venture of 1

Content Obituary Gottfried Schatz 2 Message from the Rectors 3 Directorate Report 4 MFPL in Numbers 6 Awards & Honors 8 Research Groups 10 New Research Groups 12 Research Highlights 2015 16 Research Initiatives & Networks 24 Scientific Facilities 28 Education & Training 30 Scientific Exchange 36 MFPL Life 38 The Vienna Biocenter 39 Impressum 40

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at a glance

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In Memory of Gottfried Schatz (1936 – 2015)

It was with great sadness that we heard about the death of Gottfried (Jeff) Schatz on October 1st. We lost a close colleague and mentor and will sorely miss Jeff’s intelligence, wisdom, common sense and humor.

Gottfried (Jeff) Schatz speaking at the Innovation Days of the Vienna Biocenter in 2003.

Born in Strem (Burgenland) in 1936, Jeff attended the Academic Gymnasium in Graz. He then studied chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Graz, before coming to Vienna to work as a Postdoc with Hans Tuppy. During this time, he became interested in mitochondria, the energy-producing machines of cells, which he studied for the remainder of his scientific career. He played a pivotal role in showing that these organelles have their own genome which encodes some of the proteins responsible for energy production in cells. For more than 35 years, Jeff and his lab pioneered the study of mitochondrial biogenesis elucidating many of the key import mechanisms.

Jeff was not only a brilliant scientist, but also a gifted speaker and writer, who, almost uniquely, could explain complex scientific concepts in a clear, concise manner, and in an entertaining fashion that inspired countless young scientists. He was also an active advocate for the natural sciences and basic research in politics, industry and academia.

It was he, together with Kim Nasmyth, who was instrumental in establishing MFPL. In 2003, they published a report on the “The Future of the Vienna Biocenter1” highlighting those structures and attitudes needed for success:

In that report, the term Vienna Biocenter refers to the university institutes located at Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, now the Max F. Perutz Laboratories.

2 The Medical University was founded after the Austrian university reform in 2004 from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Vienna.

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“[G]iving it a flexible, flat hierarchy that encourages a climate of openness: openness towards new developments in existing disciplines; openness towards newly emerging disciplines; openness towards other areas of scientific excellence within the University of Vienna2; and openness towards non-academic research, including the Biotechnology sector. Last but not least, it should signal openness towards young talent, the major source of innovation.”

In March this year, Jeff gave one of his last public speeches as keynote lecturer at the opening of the celebrations of the 650th anniversary of the Univer2

sity of Vienna. His speech “Universitäten – Hüterinnen unserer Zukunft” (“Universities – Guardians of the Future”) was a rousing call for basic research: “Wissenschaft beschäftigt sich (…) nicht vorrangig mit Wissen, sondern mit Unwissen. Sie will dieses Unwissen in Wissen verwandeln, wobei ihr der Akt der Umwandlung meist wichtiger ist als das Ergebnis. (…)

[N]ur eine kleine Minderheit, nämlich die aktiven Forscher, verwandelt Unwissen in Wissen. Und in dieser Minderheit ist es wiederum nur eine winzige Elite, der es vergönnt ist, das höchste Ziel eines Wissenschaftlers zu verwirklichen. Dieses Ziel ist, neues Unwissen zu schaffen: Etwas zu entdecken, von dem wir nicht wussten, dass wir es nicht wussten. (…) Wissenschaft ist keine Hüterin von Stabilität und Ordnung, sondern eine unverbesserliche Revolutionärin, die unablässig kreative Unruhe stiftet. Sie macht unser Leben nicht ordentlicher oder ruhiger, sondern freier und interessanter. (…) Innovative Forschung (…) ist intuitiv, kaum planbar, voller Überraschungen und manchmal sogar chaotisch - genauso wie innovative Kunst.”

Which loosely translates as: “Science is not about what we know, but what we don‘t know. The scientist’s goal is to transform ignorance into knowledge, and this journey is often more interesting than the result. (…) [O]nly a few, active scientists transform ignorance into knowledge; an even smaller elite reaches the ultimate goal which is to discover something that we didn‘t even know we didn‘t know. (…) Science is not the guardian of stability and order, but an incorrigible revolutionary that incessantly causes creative restlessness. Science does not make our life more organized or more peaceful, but freer and more interesting. (…) Innovative research (…) is intuitive, seldom predictable, full of surprises and sometimes even chaotic - just like innovative art.”

Jeff will continue to inspire us and future generations.

Message from the Rectors 2015 2015 marks a decade of collaboration between the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna who together formed the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL). During this time, MFPL has earned a reputation as one of the top spots for research and education in the field of Molecular Biology.

In early 2005, the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna signed a cooperation agreement cementing a joint venture across university boundaries – the MFPL. Now, ten years later, MFPL is an exemplar for excellent academic research and education. Graham Warren joined MFPL with the vision to invest in young researchers, to which we contributed by making ten junior group leader positions available. The first “juniors” started working at MFPL in 2007, their number now totaling 19. Together, they have won many prestigious research awards including seven ERC grants and five START prizes. Last year, we renewed the cooperation between our two universities for MFPL – committing to this unique venture and ensuring it can continue its positive development.

MFPL again showed its strength in recruiting top international talent by securing two of the three “Vienna Research Groups for Young Investigators“ positions of the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF). We welcome the successful candidates Christopher Campbell and Martin Leeb, who joined MFPL from San Diego, USA, and Cambridge, UK, respectively. Together with Christa Bücker, who moved to Vienna from Stanford University, USA, they will contribute to MFPL’s continuing excellent research efforts.

We would also like to congratulate Sascha Martens, who was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant worth €2 million over five years. This grant is a follow-up to his Starting Grant from 2010,

and will support his research on the molecular mechanisms of autophagy. We extend our congratulations to Kristin Tessmar-Raible, who received a Berta-Karlik professorship from the University of Vienna, and the three new members of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Arndt von Haeseler, Robert Konrat and Angela Hancock.

Year after year we are delighted to see the success of MFPL’s education and training efforts in the accolades for its young researchers, including a DOC fellowship by the Austrian Academy of Sciences for Laura Gallego-Valle, Katharina Schropp as well as Jakub Cibulka, and uni:docs fellowships for both Anna Orlova and Duygu Demiroz Bas.

Heinz W. Engl

As the Rectors of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna we look forward to the next decade of exciting scientific discoveries by MFPL’s researchers and will do our part to contribute to a prosperous future for the institute.

Heinz W. Engl Rector, University of Vienna

Markus Müller

Markus Müller Rector, Medical University of Vienna 3

Directorate Report 2015 Vaziri and Bojan Žagrović. Since MFPL’s foundation, we have published almost 2,000 scientific articles, our scientists have received many accolades including seven ERC grants and five FWF START prizes, and 170 PhD degrees have successfully been completed since 2007. We can all be proud of what we have achieved together.

Three new research groups join MFPL

From left: Roland Foisner (Vice-Dean for the Medical University of Vienna), Graham Warren (Scientific Director), Manuela Baccarini (Vice-Dean for the University of Vienna) and Fabien Martins (Administrative Director).

MFPL turns 10

In August 2003, the first publications with Max F. Perutz Laboratories as an affiliation were published.

This initiative emphasized the vision to unite the university departments at the Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9 location, including an organizational structure with flat hierarchies to facilitate joint and optimal use of resources and technical facilities, to create opportunities for excellent junior group leaders, and to establish a nationally and internationally competitive institute. Two years later, in March 2005, MFPL became a legal entity as a joint venture of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna. Now, after ten years, we look back on 19 junior group leaders who have joined MFPL, seven of whom have been promoted to associate professorships: Alexander Dammermann, Claudine Kraft, Sascha Martens, Kristin Tessmar-Raible, Alipasha 4

In the second call of the “Vienna Research Groups for Young Investigators“ program of the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF), two out of the three offered positions went to MFPL, each funded with up to €1.6 million. We are delighted to welcome Martin Leeb and Christopher Campbell to our institute. Martin Leeb completed his PhD at the Institute of Molecular Pathology at the Vienna Biocenter and now returns to Vienna from the MRC Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, UK, where he worked with Austin Smith. Together with his colleagues he established haploid mammalian embryonic stem cells, an excellent model system to determine the effect of genetic modifications.

Martin‘s lab aims to gain a detailed understanding of the regulatory mechanisms driving cell fate specification. Chris Campbell was a postdoctoral fellow with Arshad Desai at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego, USA. His work challenges current models of eukaryotic chromosome segregation and why these mechanisms are disrupted in cancer cells. The focus of his group is to understand the conserved mechanisms that prevent the accumulation of mutations that lead to cancer. Martin and Chris join Claudine Kraft and Alipasha Vaziri who were successful in the 2010 call of the “Young Investigators“ program, which supports outstanding young scientists who want to come or return to

Vienna. MFPL also welcomed Christa Bücker as a new group leader in 2015. Christa completed her PhD in stem cell biology and worked with Joanna Wysocka as a Postdoc at Stanford University, USA, before she took up her tenure-track assistant professorship in Genetics at MFPL in October. Her research focuses on transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development.

National and international recognition for MFPL researchers

We would like to congratulate our researchers on yet another year of excellent scientific output and education efforts: until early November they raised more than €11 million in third-party funding, published 129 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and mentored 20 PhD students on their way to successful completion of their degree.

Among the accolades recognizing the top-notch work of MFPL researchers was an ERC Consolidator Grant for Sascha Martens, worth €2 million over five years. The grant, which is the first of its kind for MFPL, will fund the research of Sascha’s team on how cells generate tiny double-membraned vesicles – so called autophagosomes - that deliver superfluous or unwanted material to the “cell’s waste bin”, the lysosome.

Three MFPL researchers were elected to the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW) this year: Arndt von Haeseler and Robert Konrat joined the ranks of Corresponding Members of the Division Mathematics and Natural Sciences (domestic) of the OEAW; and Angela Hancock joined the OEAW’s Young Academy. The OEAW has over 750 members who are chosen based on their outstanding scientific accomplishments and set the tone for research, provide advice for decision-makers in politics, economics and society, as well as engaging with the public. 14 of them are based at MFPL. In recognition of her excellent research work, Kristin Tessmar-Raible was awarded a Berta Karlik professorship from the University Vienna this year. Named after the first female professor of the University of Vienna the program is part of an effort to increase the number of female professors.

Kristin is also the holder of an ERC Starting Grant, a START Prize and is a member of the EMBO Young Investigator Program.

Training and accolades for young researchers

At MFPL we take pride in educating the next generation of scientists. Every year our scientists hold lectures and oversee practical courses totaling more than 1,200 hours to train undergraduate students. They also participate in the MFPL and Vienna Biocenter PhD programs, currently supervising 145 PhD students who are on their way to becoming independent and internationally competitive young researchers, and assist over 80 Postdocs. The fruits of the educational efforts of MFPL’s researchers

were reflected in the awards that our PhD students and Postdocs won this year. Among them were Laura Gallego Valle and Jakub Cibulka from Alwin Köhler’s lab, as well as Katharina Schropp from the Schlögelhofer group, who were awarded DOC fellowships by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), and Duygu Demiroz Bas from the Decker lab and Anna Orlova from the Slade group, who each received a uni:docs fellowship for their dissertation.

Big festivities and a new Rector for our partner universities

2015 marked the 650th anniversary of the University of Vienna – an occasion that was marked with a variety of events throughout the year. One was the Campus Festival, a university-wide exhibition and presentation of current research projects that MFPL participated in. At our stall we gave visitors insights into the world of cells and their functions, while Claudine Kraft, Pavel Kovarik and Isabella Moll participated in “strolling through research” to discuss their work and career with visitors, whereas Renée Schroeder held a public lecture on the origin of life. Manuela Baccarini participated in the “Futurelab” project, a series of videos dedicated to the academic challenges of tomorrow, contributing insight into aging and regeneration. We would like to thank the organizers Isabella Moll and Udo Bläsi as well as all our scientists who helped at the stations during the three-day event.

For the Medical University of Vienna, 2015 marked the inauguration of new Rector Markus Müller and his team. We look forward to closely working with the new MedUni Rectorate. We would also like to bid farewell to Wolfgang Schütz after 19 years as Rector of the MedUni and previously the Medical Faculty of the University of Vienna, and thank him for his efforts over the past decade.

The MFPL Community

At MFPL we believe that a stimulating, collegial and collaborative work environment is crucial for success. After ten years, we have a broad alumni base and so it was time to bring current and former employees together. We created the MFPL Community, a networking platform for MFPL members to exchange experiences, stay in touch and get advice on career matters. The platform was launched as part of this year’s Career Day for which we invited mainly MFPL alumni to share their experience and career paths with our students and Postdocs.

Next year will mark the retirement of Graham Warren after ten years as MFPL’s Scientific Director.

But every end marks a new beginning and we look forward to welcoming a new Director.

Graham Warren Fabien Martins Manuela Baccarini Roland Foisner 5

MFPL in Numbers Founded in 2005, as a joint venture of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna, the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) provides an environment for excellent, internationally recognized research and education in Molecular and Cell Biology.

Research at MFPL is curiosity-driven and spans the field of Molecular and Cell Biology. Most groups investigate basic research questions, but an appreciable number are also active in more applied fields of biology.

Research Areas • • • • • • •

Immunology & Infection Biology Cell Signaling RNA Biology Integrative Structural Biology Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Chromosome Dynamics Molecular Mechanisms of Disease

others

Education

MFPL has a strong focus on the education and training of young researchers. Members of MFPL’s Faculty teach undergraduate courses in the Life Sciences and Medicine, supervise Diploma students, and train PhD students and Postdocs taking the first steps in their scientific career. You can read more about opportunities for PhDs and Postdocs from page 30.

Funding

MFPL is jointly funded by the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna. The two universities provide space, scientific infrastructure and cover the costs for administrative staff. Most of the scientific personnel (70%) and the running costs are covered by third-party funding raised by MFPL group leaders. The total volume of third party funding in 2015 was over €11 million.

EU

Funding (as of 10.11.2015) Austrian Science Fund FWF EU Vienna Science and Technology Fund WWTF Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG Austrian Ministries Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) Others

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49% 11% 12% 3% 1% 1% 24%

Staff Scientific personnel (incl. Facilities) Non-Scientific personnel

397 73

84% 16%

218 252

46% 54%

197 161 11 28

50% 41% 3% 7%

60 90 144 56 47

15% 23% 36% 14% 12%

Staff - Gender Distribution Male Female

Scientific Staff - Nationalities Austria Europe (excl. Austria) North & South America Asia & Australasia

Scientific Staff - Functions Group Leaders Postdocs PhD students Technical Assistants Diploma/Master students

Publications Publications

129

All numbers as of November 10 , 2015. th

Scientific Advisory Board

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) visits MFPL every year to monitor the scientific performance and discuss future developments with the Directorate and the Faculty.

We thank our SAB members: Barbara J. Meyer University of California Berkeley Melissa J. Moore University of Massachusetts Medical School Peter Parker Cancer Research UK London Research Institute Simon TavarĂŠ Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute

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Awards & Honors New members of the Austrian Academy of Sciences OEAW

The Austrian Academy of Sciences elected three MFPL group leaders as new members: Arndt von Haeseler and Robert Konrat are among the seven new Corresponding Members of the Division Mathematics and Natural Sciences (domestic) of the OEAW and Angela Hancock joins the OEAW’s Young Academy.

ERC Consolidator Grant

MFPL group leader Sascha Martens was awarded a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council to carry out research on the molecular mechanisms of autophagy. The grant – as a follow-up on Sascha’s previous ERC Starting Grant in 2010 – will provide €2 million over the next 5 years.

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Berta Karlik professorship & FENS-Kavli scholar

MFPL group leader Kristin Tessmar-Raible was awarded a Berta Karlik professorship of the University of Vienna in recognition of her scientific achievements. The Berta Karlik program is named after the first female professor of the University of Vienna and is part of an effort to increase the number of female professors. In addition, she has been selected as one of 30 FENS-Kavli scholars – a network of outstanding young European neuroscientists.

Academia Europea prize

Anton Polyansky, Postdoc in the lab of Bojan Žagrović, was awarded an Academia Europea prize for young Russian scientists in the category biology.

DOC fellowship & EMBO conference poster prize

Laura Gallego Valle, PhD student in the lab of Alwin Köhler, was awarded a DOC fellowship by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW). The stipend will support Laura’s PhD project ”Molecular mechanism of histone ubiquitination – implications in eukaryotic gene regulation”. Furthermore, Laura won a poster prize at the EMBO conference “Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers: From molecular mechanisms to human diseases”.

VBC PhD awards

This year, two of four VBC PhD awards went to MFPL: Bettina Wurzer from the group of Sascha Martens received the award for her thesis “On the role of p62 and ATG14 during mammalian autophagy” and Krzysztof Chylinski, who worked in the lab of Emmanuelle Charpentier and Renée Schroeder, won with his thesis “The type II CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity in bacteria: molecular mechanisms and evolution“.

uni:docs fellowships

Duygu Demiroz Bas from the Decker lab and Anna Orlova from the Slade group were both successful in their application for a uni:docs fellowship of the University of Vienna. The uni:docs program funds excellent doctoral candidates for up to three years.

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Publication award of the German Mycological Society

Florian Zwolanek, PhD student in the Kuchler lab, was awarded the publications prize of the German-speaking Mycological Society (DMYKG) for a highly acclaimed study of fungal infections and their related inflammatory immune responses.

DOC fellowships

Jakub Cibulka, PhD student in the lab of Alwin Köhler, and Katharina Schropp, PhD student in the lab of Peter Schlögelhofer, were awarded DOC fellowships by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW).

The fellowships will support Jakub’s PhD project “The role of nuclear basket in membrane attachment and biogenesis of the nuclear pore complexes“ and Katharina’s PhD project ”Plants are different: The ATM/ATR mediated DNA damage response is transmitted by CK2”.

Research Groups Research at MFPL is curiosity-driven and spans the field of Molecular and Cell Biology. Most groups investigate basic research questions but a significant number are also active in more applied fields of biology. In 2015, 470 people from more than 40 nations worked at MFPL. Detailed information about all MFPL research groups, their research focus, list of publications and team can be found on the MFPL website: www.mfpl.ac.at/groups

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Gustav Ammerer Manuela Baccarini Andreas Bachmair Andrea Barta Dieter Blaas Udo Bläsi Christa Bücker Christopher Campbell Alexander Dammermann Thomas Decker Kristina Djinović-Carugo Gang Dong Silke Dorner Roland Foisner Peter Fuchs Boris Görke Angela Hancock Andreas Hartig Marcela Hermann Joachim Hermisson Reinhold Hofbauer N.-Erwin Ivessa Michael Jantsch Verena Jantsch Franz Klein Alwin Köhler Gottfried Köhler Robert Konrat Pavel Kovarik Heinrich Kowalski Claudine Kraft Karl Kuchler Martin Leeb Thomas Leonard Josef Loidl Sascha Martens Isabella Moll Ernst Müllner Johannes Nimpf Egon Ogris Friedrich Propst Florian Raible Johann Rotheneder Matthias Schäfer Peter Schlögelhofer Renée Schroeder Christian Seiser Tim Skern Dea Slade Kristin Tessmar-Raible Alipasha Vaziri Gijs Versteeg Arndt von Haeseler Graham Warren Georg Weitzer Gerhard Wiche Angela Witte Ivan Yudushkin Bojan Žagrović

Signal transduction and transcriptional regulation in yeast Deciphering the MAPK pathway in vivo Protein modifiers in plants Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in plants Early interactions of viruses with host cells Post-transcriptional regulation in bacteria and archaea Transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development Mechanisms that ensure chromosome segregation fidelity in mitosis Centriole assembly and function Host responses and innate immunity to bacteria Structural biology of the cytoskeleton Structural studies of ciliogenesis The regulation of gene expression by small ncRNAs Lamins in nuclear organization and human disease Stress response in simple epithelia Signal transduction and post-transcriptional regulation in model bacteria Molecular basis of adaptive evolution Origin and biogenesis of peroxisomes LDL-R gene family, apolipoproteins and lipid transfer Mathematics and BioSciences Group (MaBS) Consequences of carnitine deficiency and CSF-1 inhibition Protein biogenesis and degradation from the ER Impact of RNA-editing on coding and non coding substrate RNAs Meiosis in C. elegans Chromosome structure and meiotic recombination Gene expression and chromosome dynamics Biomolecular optical spectroscopy Computational biology and biomolecular NMR spectroscopy Signaling and gene expression in inflammation Molecular and structural biology of picornaviruses Regulation and signaling in autophagy Host-pathogen interactions & mechanisms of drug resistance & fungal pathogenesis Molecular control of cell fate decisions Structural biology of lipid-activated signal transduction Meiotic chromosome pairing and recombination Molecular mechanisms of autophagy Ribosome heterogeneity in bacteria Signal transduction and hematopoiesis/erythropoiesis ApoER2 and VLDL receptor PP2A enzyme biogenesis and monoclonal antibodies The neuronal cytoskeleton in axon guidance Origin and diversification of hormone systems Cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response RNA modifications: their impact on gene expression and innate immunity Meiotic recombination RNA aptamers and RNA chaperones Chromatin modifiers in development and disease Interactions between viruses and cells DNA damage response Lunar periodicity and inner brain photoreceptors Dynamics of coupled biological systems: methods and phenomena Ubiquitin-mediated regulation of immune signaling CIBIV - Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna Biogenesis of the Golgi apparatus Somatic stem cells of the heart Cytoskeletal linker proteins in development, stress response and disease φCh1, model for gene regulation in haloalkaliphilic archaea Functional imaging of signaling networks Computational biophysics of macromolecules

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New Research Groups Christa Bücker

Transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development Every mammal starts out as a zygote that carries all the necessary information to form a whole individual. However, at any given developmental time point environmental cues such as growth factors induce a response in the cell that depends on the cellular identity.

Every cell state reacts differently to the same growth factor since downstream effectors of growth factors converge with the existing, cell type specific transcription factor landscape to drive cell type specific gene expression patterns.

But when and how is a cell able to react to specific cues and how is the differentiation set into motion? In order to study these fundamental questions we have established and extensively characterized a differentiation strategy based on mouse embryonic stem cells that allows us to closely follow a cell fate transition in vitro.

Christa Bücker

We focus on transcriptional enhancer, short stretches of DNA sequences that drive cell type specific gene expression pattern and that integrate cellular identity with growth factor signaling.

We have mapped and identified changes in the enhancer landscape during our differentiation strategy and are now dissecting the contributions of single enhancer elements to the activation of a target gene.

The expression of a gene is often regulated by multiple single enhancer elements that together form “super enhancers”. However, it is still unclear how each element contributes to the overall expression of the target gene: are all single elements equally important, are they working additively or can loss of a single element be tolerated? In order to further understand the inner workings of super enhancers we are employing CRISPR/Cas9 to delete, mutate and invert single enhancer elements and study the effect of these changes during differentiation on the expression of a target gene.

Even though most embryonic stem cells will eventually differentiate, the rate at which differ12

entiation is initiated is not the same throughout a population. To determine the causes for these differences we employ a combination of single cell methods such as RNA-FISH, life imaging and single cell ATAC-seq. Understanding why heterogeneity arises during differentiation will guide us to develop cleaner and more efficient differentiation strategies for clinical applications in the future.

During development, changes in the transcription factor repertoire lead to changes in the active enhancer landscape.

Selected publications

Buecker C, Srinivasan R, Wu Z, Calo E, Acampora D, Faial T, Simeone A, Tan M, Swigut T, Wysocka J. Reorganization of enhancer patterns in transition from naive to primed pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell.

2014;14(6):838-53. PMID: 24905168 Buecker C, Wysocka J. Enhancers as information integration hubs in development: lessons from genomics.

Trends Genet. 2012;28(6):276-84. PMID: 22487374 Buecker C, Chen HH, Polo JM, Daheron L, Bu L, Barakat TS, Okwieka P, Porter A, Gribnau J, Hochedlinger K, Geijsen N. A murine ESC-like state facilitates transgenesis and homologous recombination in human pluripotent stem cells. Cell Stem Cell. 2010;6(6):535-46. PMID: 20569691

Christopher Campbell

Mechanisms that ensure chromosome segregation fidelity in mitosis In mitosis, chromosome segregation by the microtubule-based mitotic spindle ensures equal partitioning of the genome between the daughter cells. Cells use multiple mechanisms to ensure that chromosomes are segregated with high fidelity.

The vast majority of cancer cells are aneuploid (contain the wrong number of chromosomes), indicating that one or more of these segregation fidelity mechanisms has failed. The resulting increase in chromosome segregation errors is termed chromosomal instability (CIN). Despite major recent advances in the genomic characterization of cancer cells, very little is known about how and why cancer cells missegregate their chromosomes.

We are interested in understanding the mechanisms that cells use to prevent the missegregation of chromosomes as well as the direct repercussions of chromosome missegregation. Our focus lies in fundamental, conserved processes that identify chromosomes with aberrant attachments to the microtubules and correct those misattachments. To examine these processes, we employ a combination of genetic, biochemical, and microscopy-based techniques using budding yeast as a model organism.

Aneuploid cancer cell lines have defects in the strength of attachments between microtubules and the kinetochore (the microtubule-attachment site on chromosomes), and the strength of these attachments is regulated by the kinase Aurora B. Aurora B provides the catalytic activity of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC). The CPC is a four-subunit complex that detects improper microtubule-kinetochore connections and weakens them via phosphorylation of various targets on the kinetochore. One fundamental question that we wish to address is: how does the CPC specifically destabilize aberrant kinetochore-microtubule connections?

Many cancers have extremely high rates of chromosomal instability (CIN). Some cancers have chromosome segregation errors in every cell division, which would be detrimental to the growth of normal cells.

Little is known about how cancers are able to thrive with high levels of CIN. We aim to determine how cells evolve to cope with CIN by creating a model

Aberrant attachments between kinetochores and the mitotic spindle must be corrected before anaphase to ensure proper chromosome segregation. system for persistent chromosomal instability in budding yeast. What types of mutations allow cells to adapt to a constantly shifting genomic content?

What are the direct effects of CIN and aneuploidy on the health and viability of cells?

Selected publications

Campbell CS, Hombauer H, Srivatsan A, Bowen N, Gries K, Desai A, Putnam CD, Kolodner RD. Mlh2 is an accessory factor for DNA mismatch repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS Genet. 2014;10(5):e1004327.

PMID: 24811092 Campbell CS, Desai A. Tension sensing by Aurora B kinase is independent of survivin-based centromere localization. Nature. 2013;497(7447):118-21. PMID: 23604256 Hombauer H, Campbell CS, Smith CE, Desai A, Kolodner R. Visualization of eukaryotic DNA mismatch repair reveals distinct recognition and repair intermediates.

Cell. 2011;147(5):1040-53. PMID: 22118461

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Christopher Campbell

New Research Groups Martin Leeb

Molecular control of cell fate decisions Proper cell identity control is essential for normal development. My group investigates the molecular mechanisms of cell fate determination in mammals using high throughput screening platforms combined with defined cell culture systems.

Martin Leeb

Embryonic stem cells hold great potential for use in regenerative medicine and could be employed to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes. This assumption is based on the fact that ES cells can differentiate into cell types of all three germ layers in vitro and can contribute to normal development in chimeric mice. However, whereas developmental progression and changes in cellular identity in the embryo unfold in a deterministic manner, in vitro differentiation is asynchronous and disorganized. As a consequence, robust protocols to control primary lineage decision experimentally do not exist and efficient differentiation into authentic cell types of clinical relevance remains largely elusive. Work in my lab aims to bridge this gap in knowledge by contributing to a broader understanding of the molecular mechanisms that determine cellular identity during the course of embryonic development.

The discovery of haploid ES cells as a potent discovery platform for unbiased random mutagenesis-based screens in mammalian cells has enabled us to address this question in a high throughput approach. In screens performed over the last few years we have already identified a cohort of novel players involved in the exit from ES cell self-renewal.

Future efforts in my laboratory will focus on the in depth functional analysis of selected candidate genes and pathways. For this we will use refined ES cell culture techniques together with defined differentiation protocols in order to dissect the regulatory cascade that controls differentiation in high molecular resolution. We will further seek to design strategies and experimental platforms that will allow us to dissect the genetics of cell identity decisions downstream of the exit from ES cell self-renewal.

Team

Elena Galimberti Andreas Lackner Christina Manakanatas Julia Ramesmayer

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Top: A haploid karyotype allows detection of recessive mutations in genetic screens.

Bottom: Schematic overview of a screen to identify key players involved in ES cell differentiation.

Selected publications

Leeb M, Dietmann S, Paramor M, Niwa H, Smith A. Genetic exploration of the exit from self-renewal using haploid embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell.

2014;14(3):385-93. PMID: 24412312 Leeb M, Wutz A. Derivation of haploid embryonic stem cells from mouse embryos. Nature.

2011;479(7371):131-4. PMID: 21900896 Leeb M, Pasini D, Novatchkova M, Jaritz M, Helin K, Wutz A. Polycomb complexes act redundantly to repress genomic repeats and genes. Genes Dev. 2010;24(3):265-76. PMID: 20123906

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Research Highlights 2015 More than transport:

Nuclear pores as regulators of chromatin and membrane function Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate the bidirectional transport of molecules across the nuclear envelope membrane. Besides transport NPCs were recently found to interact with chromatin and to influence gene expression at the nuclear periphery.

Surprisingly, NPCs also impact on the shape of the nuclear membrane into which they are inserted. Alwin Köhler and his team have published two studies, in which they identify mechanisms by which NPCs directly influence gene expression. And they discovered how NPCs bind and shape the surrounding nuclear membrane.

Alwin Köhler

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In collaboration with researchers at the neighboring institute IMP and colleagues at the Pennsylvania State University (USA), Alwin Köhler’s team described how NPCs communicate with the gene expression machinery.

Genes are highly dynamic and can change their nuclear position depending on whether they are active or not. Intriguingly, some genes physically attach to NPCs and this leads to changes in the frequency by which they are transcribed.

The central question was: how do NPCs contact and regulate the transcription machinery? The researchers at MFPL discovered a set of adaptor proteins that bridge between NPCs and RNA polymerase II, which synthesizes the messenger RNA (mRNA). In detail, the adaptor machinery involves the so-called TREX-2 complex, which is bound to the NPC. By solving the TREX-2 crystal structure and through a series of biochemical experiments, the researchers identified a region, which directly interacts with Mediator and thereby alters Mediator structure. Mediator, in turn, is a multiprotein complex, which binds RNA Polymerase II and regulates the first steps of transcription.

Transcriptome studies then identified a specific set of target genes that are co-regulated by TREX-2 and Mediator. In sum, this study showed how NPC-associated adaptor proteins can directly access the core transcription machinery.

Another research focus of Alwin Köhler’s group is to understand the function of the “nuclear basket“, a filamentous structure that is appended to the nuclear side of NPCs. The NPC basket is a docking site for the transport machinery and an attachment site for chromatin. In this study, the researchers could assign a new function to the

basket. They demonstrated that basket proteins insert into the nuclear envelope membrane and in doing so shape the nuclear membrane. To build a new nuclear pore, the double membrane of the nucleus needs to be reconstructed to allow the formation of a stable “membrane hole”. To achieve this, the two nuclear membranes must approach each other, bend sharply and finally merge. The researchers showed that the basket proteins can deform membranes even in a test tube. Moreover, nuclear membranes lacking specific basket proteins became unstable in cells and formed abnormal membrane structures instead of proper holes. Finally, the binding and bending of the nuclear membrane imparted by the basket is important for assembling a proper NPC.

Mészáros et al. describe how amphipathic helices of the nuclear pore basket, a structure on the nucleoplasmic side of the pore, can generate highly curved membranes to promote nuclear pore assembly. The image shows an electron micrograph of a S. cerevisiae cell. Drawing follows the contour of a dramatically remodeled nuclear envelope, a pathological condition seen upon overproduction of basket amphipathic helices (yellow cog wheels), which bind and bend membranes.

Seen in a broader context, both studies illustrate that nuclear pores are more than transport channels as they reach out to influence chromatin and membrane function. Notably, a growing list of diseases such as cancer and aging have been linked to a deterioration of NPCs. Both studies open new avenues for understanding how nuclear pores function in health and disease.

Schneider et al. demonstrate that the NPC-associated TREX-2 complex directly interacts with a complex called Mediator.

Subsequently, Mediator makes the information accessible to RNA polymerase II (Pol II). The resulting mRNA is sent back to TREX-2 and the nuclear pore and then exported into the cytoplasm.

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Schneider M, Hellerschmied D, Schubert T, Amlacher S, Vinayachandran V, Reja R, Pugh BF, Clausen T, Köhler A. The nuclear pore-associated TREX-2 complex employs Mediator to regulate gene expression. Cell. 2015;162(5):1016-28.

PMID: 26317468 Mészáros N, Cibulka J, Mendiburo MJ, Romanauska A, Schneider M, Köhler A. Nuclear pore basket proteins are tethered to the nuclear envelope and can regulate membrane curvature.

Dev Cell. 2015;33(3):285-98. PMID: 25942622

Research Highlights 2015

When 8-year olds look like 80:

New mechanism behind progeria described Roland Foisner

Roland Foisner’s group has recently described a yet unknown mechanism behind the premature aging disease progeria that may provide new approaches for therapy.

Children suffering from progeria are born normal, but from age one to two they develop pathological features resembling premature aging in many aspects. Most patients die from strokes and heart attacks before reaching their twenties.

Presently, there is no cure for progeria.

Progerin, a protein highly concentrated in progeria cells, is known to be responsible for many of the characteristics of the disease. It is a mutant version of lamin A, a protein crucial for the stability of the nucleus and involved in many essential nuclear functions.

17-year old Nihal (right) and 4-year old Zoey (above), both suffering from progeria. Photos courtesy of the PRF. Image below: Unlike the spherical nuclei of normal cells (left), nuclei from progeria cells (right) form multiple “lobes” making them look like a cluster of bubbles because progerin permanently resides in the membrane surrounding the nucleus.

Roland Foisner and his team investigate the molecular functions of nuclear lamins, their mutated forms and associated diseases called laminopathies.

A few years ago, they and other researchers found that progeria cells have much less LAP2α than normal cells. LAP2α is a protein that interacts with lamin A to regulate cell proliferation. Interestingly, LAP2α levels also decrease during normal aging. When they re-introduced LAP2α they could completely rescue the proliferation defect of the progeria cells. Further experiments revealed a real surprise: LAP2α usually binds to a distinct nuclear pool of lamin A and slows proliferation, so low LAP2α levels result in hyperproliferation in normal cells. Progeria cells proliferate much slower and prematurely enter the cellular aging process despite low levels of LAP2α. The reason for this is that progeria cells do not have the nuclear lamin A pool. Hence, LAP2α uses a different route to exercise its function in progeria cells. Previous findings gave the researchers the clue to solve the puzzle: Cells are surrounded by the extracellular matrix (ECM) that structurally supports them. It was reported before that progerin negatively affects the production of ECM proteins, leading to a disrupted cellular environment and slower proliferation. Now the researchers connected this to the low LAP2α 18

levels. When they reintroduced LAP2α into progeria cells they again produced normal ECM, proliferated normally and did not enter the cellular aging process.

The study’s insights open new avenues towards the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of progeria and allow drawing conclusions on the cellular processes during normal aging.

Vidak S, Kubben N, Dechat T, Foisner R. Proliferation of progeria cells is enhanced by Lamina-associated polypeptide (LAP) 2α through expression of extracellular matrix proteins. Genes Dev. 2015;29(19):202236. PMID: 26443848

New insights into the spatial dynamics of centrosome assembly

Picture shows C. elegans embryo in metaphase of the first cell division.

In green: centrosomes, in red: microtubules, in cyan: DNA.

Alexander Dammermann and his team investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying centriole function in centrosome assembly.

Centrioles are small cytoplasmic structures that carry out important functions in eukaryotic cells.

One of these functions is to recruit so-called pericentriolar material (PCM) to form centrosomes that organize the microtubule cytoskeleton including the mitotic spindle. Centriole and centrosome dysfunction has been linked to developmental and adult disorders as well as cancer.

Despite their importance to human physiology and pathology, the assembly and function of centrioles and centrosomes remains poorly understood.

In the lab of Alexander Dammermann, PhD students Triin Laos and Gabriela Cabral have focused on how the PCM is assembled and organized. The researchers focused on SPD-5, one of the key proteins of the PCM in C. elegans. It is thought that SPD-5 forms a scaffold that underlies PCM assembly in this experimental model. Without this protein, PCM does not form around centrioles. As a consequence, the spindle, which is crucial to segregate chromosomes between daughter cells during cell division, fails to assemble.

Earlier work in Drosophila had suggested that PCM proteins are recruited specifically near centrioles and then move outwards as the PCM expands. In contrast, the MFPL researchers found that SPD-5 incorporation in C. elegans occurs throughout the volume of the PCM, rather than in the vicinity of the centrioles. These results indicate that centrioles, while clearly important to initiate PCM assembly, do not act as the exclusive docking sites for scaffold expansion.

These results raise interesting questions about how centrioles direct PCM assembly at a distance, as well as how the PCM matrix polymer can expand in such a sponge-like manner.

Laos T, Cabral G, Dammermann A. Isotropic incorporation of SPD-5 underlies centrosome assembly in C. elegans. Curr Biol. 2015;25(15):R648-9. PMID: 26241136

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Alexander Dammermann

Research Highlights 2015

Plants with defect in SUMO chain formation (mutant, MT) grow better in presence of salt (150 mM NaCl), but slightly less well under osmotic stress (osm., 300 mM mannitol) in comparison to the wild type (WT).

Novel proteins involved in stress responses and sulfur metabolism in Arabidopsis identified The Bachmair group has characterized the proteins PIAL1 and 2 and has shown that these enzymes play an important role in plants to cope with environmental stress and influence the plants’ sulfur metabolism.

Andreas Bachmair

Covalent attachment of small modifier proteins to substrate proteins is essential for many regulatory processes in plants. A crucial modifier for stress responses is the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO), which is involved in post-translational protein modifications: In a process called sumoylation, SUMO moieties are attached to substrate proteins, to modify their function or localization.

In this way, SUMO proteins help plants cope with drought, temperature extremes and nutritional limitations. A plethora of proteins – in particular those of the nucleus – can be modified by SUMO proteins. Typically, substrate proteins carry a single SUMO moiety, but SUMO proteins can also form oligomeric “chains”. However, the physiological role of these chains and how their formation is regulated has remained unclear.

The group of Andreas Bachmair has now identified two novel proteins that mediate the formation of SUMO chains. The researchers have shown that these ligases are involved in the regulation of salt stress and osmostress responses as well as in sulfate assimilation and sulfur metabolism in Arabidopsis. They have called these proteins with overlapping functions PROTEIN INHIBITOR 20

OF ACTIVATED STAT (PIAS) LIKE1 (PIAL1) and 2.

Furthermore, they have demonstrated that these proteins require the SUMO-modified SUMO conjugating enzyme SCE1 for optimal activity. How this cofactor exactly works after its modification, and how important it is in vivo, are the current research objectives of Konstantin Tomanov, Postdoc in Andreas Bachmair’s group.

As plants contain a protein degradation pathway that recognizes SUMO chains, the researchers propose that SUMO chain formation can lead to removal of SUMO substrate proteins and substrate assemblages in vivo. PIAL proteins thereby connect SUMO conjugation to ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation, one of the major proteolytic pathways of the cell.

Tomanov K, Zeschmann A, Hermkes R, Eifler K, Ziba I, Grieco M, Novatchkova M, Hofmann K, Hesse H, Bachmair A. Arabidopsis PIAL1 and 2 Promote SUMO Chain Formation as E4-Type SUMO Ligases and Are Involved in Stress Responses and Sulfur Metabolism.

Plant Cell. 2014;26(11):4547-60. PMID: 25415977

Bojan Žagrović

The origin of the language of life

The genetic code describes how information is encoded in the genetic material and is the same from simple bacteria to humans. However, the origin of the code remains enigmatic. The team of Bojan Žagrović has revealed surprising clues that may help unlock this mystery.

All information about living organisms is stored in their genes. For the cell to be able to read this information, each of the genes is first carbon-copied into messenger RNA (mRNA), whose content is then translated to make proteins. While the information in mRNAs is encoded using a 4-letter alphabet of nucleobases, proteins are built using a 20-letter alphabet of amino acids. Although we now know how to read the words made of nucleobases and understand which amino acids they stand for, the origin of this universal language of life remains mysterious.

Bojan Žagrović’s team has shown that the density profiles of different nucleobases in mRNAs closely resemble the profiles of amino-acid affinity for these same nucleobases in the proteins they code for.

The graphic illustrates the typical level of matching using an MHC class I antigen, a protein with essential roles in the immune system, as example.

The mRNA pyrimidine density (pyrimidines are one type of nucleobases, PYR) quantitatively mirrors the protein’s profile of pyrimidine binding propensity.

Over the past four years, Bojan Žagrović and his coworkers have been looking at complete mRNAs and the proteins they code for. The team has collected evidence that most mRNAs in modern organisms exhibit signatures of potential complementary binding with the proteins they code for. They studied this relationship for complete proteomes – the entire sets of proteins – of 15 different organisms, covering all three domains of life.

Using experimentally and computationally derived data, they found that the density profiles of different nucleobases in mRNAs closely resemble the profiles of amino-acid affinity for these same nucleobases in the proteins they encode. Moreover, they showed that the genetic code is highly optimized to maximize such matching. Importantly, this not only suggests that the genetic code could have evolved as a consequence of direct binding interactions between mRNAs and proteins, but also implies that such interactions might still be relevant in present-day organisms. The latter would represent a still unknown layer of gene regulation.

Hajnic M, Osorio JI, Žagrović B. Computational analysis of amino acids and their sidechain analogs in crowded solutions of RNA nucleobases with implications for the mRNA–protein complementarity hypothesis. Nucleic Acids Res. 2014;42(21):12984-94.

PMID: 25361976

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Research Highlights 2015

The igniting spark:

signal molecule initiates immune response in fungal infections Karl Kuchler

Fungal infections often lead to life-threatening inflammatory reactions with very high mortality rates. Karl Kuchler and his group have discovered a signal molecule with tremendous potential for the development of novel anti-fungal medications.

The researchers’ work forms the basis for a new treatment method for affected patients: Pharmacological blocking of this signal molecule resulted in a massive reduction in inflammation and sepsis during invasive fungal infections in an animal model.

These results could not only make the quest for new and efficient treatments for invasive infectious diseases easier, but could also initiate a paradigm shift in the treatment of microbial infectious diseases. Clinical anti-fungal therapies could, instead of what has been the usual practice previously - i.e. controlling the fungal pathogen itself -, regulate the patient‘s excessive inflammatory immune response. As a result, the uncontrolled immune response can be greatly delayed or even prevented altogether.

The image shows immune cells (red) in the kidney tissue (green) after infection with Candida albicans.

Patients infected with invasive pathogenic fungi often display a fatal excessive inflammatory immune response (sepsis). The molecular decryption of the mechanisms that lead to these inflammatory reactions are therefore essential for developing better and more efficient anti-fungal therapies.

Karl Kuchler and his group have discovered a signal molecule that plays a major role in controlling the development of sepsis. The signal molecule, a member of the Tec kinases family, regulates the activation of an only recently characterized multi-protein complex (inflammasome). The inflammasome is one of the most important molecular “switches“ in the inflammatory immune response. The scientists were also able to decrypt the entire signaling pathway via which the signal transmitter works.

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Zwolanek F, Riedelberger M, Stolz V, Jenull S, Istel F, Köprülü AD, Ellmeier W, Kuchler K. The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Tec controls assembly and activity of the noncanonical caspase-8 inflammasome. PLoS Pathog. 2014;10(12):e1004525. PMID: 25474208

Innate immunity:

How signaling pathways are orchestrated In order to respond rapidly to microbial invaders, our innate immune system requires transcriptional activation of antimicrobial genes. Thomas Decker and his team show how the signals of two major antimicrobial signaling pathways are integrated at promoter level to achieve an adequate gene expression.

Transcriptional gene activation is an essential factor for the cellular response to microbial infection. But how can immune cells activate the right genes and the right amount of these genes in order to achieve an adequate, microbe-adapted immune response?

To find an answer to this question, the group of Thomas Decker studied the case of Listeria monocytogenes infection and looked on a genome-wide scale into genes induced in macrophages that had been infected with this bacterium. They could show that the transcriptional response to this infection

Model depicting cooperative transcriptional activation by two major antimicrobial signaling avenues, the STAT and NF-kB pathways. While the NFkB pathway recruits histone-modifying enzymes and RNA polymerase II kinases CDK7 and CDK9, both pathways together are needed to tether the mediator, a large complex of transcriptional cofactors, to the promoters of antimicrobial genes. Mediator thus serves as a hub for promoter-dependent signal integration in the antimicrobial transcriptional response.

requires cooperative signals of two major antimicrobial signaling avenues: the type I interferon stimulated JAK-STAT and the NF-κB pathways.

The researchers looked into the details of the transcriptional response and used the genes Nos2 and Il6 as examples for genes co-regulated by the STAT and NF-κB pathways. Nos2 is required to produce antimicrobial nitric oxide radicals, whereas IL6 is a proinflammatory cytokine. Focusing on these genes, they found that a multisubunit complex called mediator serves as signal integration hub for pathways feeding into the transcriptional machinery.

Only when acting cooperatively the NF-kB and STAT pathways recruit a complete mediator to the Nos2 and Il6 promoters. Mediator in turn addresses RNA polymerase, the enzyme essential for transcription.

These findings suggest that the mechanism they uncovered represents a widespread method in higher organisms to coordinate the activation of several genes in the innate immune system. In addition, this mechanism may enable rapid and precise responses to changing environmental conditions.

Wienerroither S, Shukla P, Farlik M, Majoros A, Stych B, Vogl C, Cheon HJ, Stark GR, Strobl B, Müller M, Decker T. Cooperative Transcriptional Activation of Antimicrobial Genes by STAT and NF-kB Pathways by Concerted Recruitment of the Mediator Complex. Cell Rep. 2015;12(2):300-12. PMID: 26146080

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Thomas Decker

Research Initiatives & Networks Collaboration is a major element and inevitable prerequisite for excellence in scientific research.

Our group leaders are therefore actively involved in local, national and international research networks.

One example are Special Research Programs (SFBs) funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). SFBs are peer-reviewed, highly interactive research networks, established to foster long-term, interdisciplinary co-operation of local research groups enabling them to work on the frontiers of their thematic areas.

Another collaborative research project, coordinated

by MFPL, is the Center for Optimized Structural Studies (COSS), funded by the Austrian Research

Promotion Agency (FFG) as a “Laura Bassi Centre of Excellence”. The Laura Bassi funding program promotes research networks led by women at the interface between science and industry.

MFPL group leaders are also involved in several interdisciplinary research platforms of the University of Vienna. These are organizational units between faculties to advance innovative and interdisciplinary research areas.

Detailed information about research networks involving MFPL scientists can be found on our website: www.mfpl.ac.at/research/research-networks

Laura Bassi Centre “COSS – Center for Optimized Structural Studies”

Workflow and chart of the COSS platform. The individual experimental modules are shown in blue boxes. General problems that might occur within individual/particular module(s) are indicated in red boxes, while general solutions to these problems are shown in green boxes.

Proteins are the building blocks of life and can be found in every cell. Being able to decode the structure of proteins means a better understanding of numerous processes in the body. Structure determination at atomic detail and their biochemical and biophysical characterization requires high levels of protein quality and in large quantity. The major aim of COSS is to research innovative methods to produce sufficient quantities of high-quality protein that can be used for structural and/or functional studies. COSS has established a platform for efficient production of recalcitrant proteins in E. coli and baculovirus infected insect cells, employing nested constructs approach, automated expression screening and purification, as well as complementary screens for identification and quantification of protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, COSS has developed design of customized crystallization screens based on biophysical characterization of samples.

Head Kristina Djinović-Carugo

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Nano-model of a meiotic chromosome. Pairs of sister-loops protrude from a common axis. Axis based robot arms symbolize the DNA-cleavage machinery, the right one with a piece of cleaved DNA. The interaction between axis and loop sequences is very important to make repair work for pairing and chromosome segregation.

SFB “Chromosome Dynamics” Chromosomes contain our body plan, yet they are highly dynamic structures, changing their properties dramatically according to the necessities of cell cycle and reproduction.

The SFB “Chromosome Dynamics” started in 2008, aimed to answer key questions from the “life” of chromosomes. In addition to the 8 groups funded by the SFB from MFPL, IMBA and IMP several groups are associated and coordinate their research with us to study kinetochores, chromosome axis and loop domains, recombination hotspots and chromosome movement at the molecular level.

The kinetochore-microtubule attachment and the biochemistry of cohesins, both key aspects of segregation, are studied in meiosis and in mitosis in budding yeast as well as in mouse and human cells.

Additional novel aspects of chromosome architecture are investigated in human cells.

In meiosis I, chromosome segregation is ensured by recombination, involving massive DNA damage and its repair. Both of these aspects are studied in yeast, plant and animal model systems. Recombination hotspots are studied in budding yeast and Arabidopsis thaliana. High-end technological platforms, such as mass spectroscopy, micro arrays and next generation sequencing are used as discovery tools. Meiotic chromosome missegregation is a leading cause of miscarriages and Down’s syndrome and most cancers are associated with aberrant chromosome numbers. Knowledge of segregation mechanisms is thus required to understand the etiology of these problems.

Speaker Franz Klein (MFPL), Jan Michael Peters (IMP, Deputy)

SFB “Jak-Stat Signaling: from Basics to Disease” Jak-Stat signaling is used by a large number of cell surface receptors, particularly cytokine receptors, to reprogram gene expression and to regulate many biological responses in virtually all cell types and organs. The general objective of the SFB is to jointly investigate how Jaks and Stats regulate immunity to infection, inflammation and cancer. The unifying aim is to study these topics and the links between them. This concept is supported by similarities concerning mechanisms of acute inflammation and cancer progression, and the association of signal transduction originating from infection and inflammation with tumorigenesis. Contributions of Jaks and Stats to cell autonomous mechanisms of tumorigenesis are examined and connected to JakStat contributions to cancer immune surveillance or the establishment of an inflammatory environment promoting cancer growth. These studies con-

sider a role for hitherto poorly understood interactions with Jak-Stat partner molecules and they will test potential functions of non-canonical Stat activation. Furthermore, they address mechanisms by which Stats regulate expression of their target genes.

Speaker Mathias Müller (VetMedUni Vienna), Thomas Decker (MFPL, Deputy) Signal transduction by the interferon (IFN) receptors.

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Research Initiatives & Networks

SFB “RNA Regulation of the Transcriptome”

The special research program “RNA-REG” is studying how RNA-networks control the flow of genetic information. All cellular processes affecting the transcriptome are modulated by regulatory RNAs, from epigenetic phenomena, chromatin stability and structure over transcription to RNA-processing, transport, decay and translation.

“RNA-REG” comprises fifteen research groups from five research institutions that aim to classify regulatory RNAs, decipher their interactomes, their

regulatory mechanisms and to understand their physiological consequences. Using state-of-the-art sequencing analysis with a central bioinformatics support unit, regulatory RNA networks are studied in diverse models like bacteria, nematodes, insects, plants and mammals. Importantly, the mechanisms underlying regulatory RNA networks during adaptation, development and disease progression are focus of “RNA-REG”. Together with the affiliated doctoral program “DK-RNA-Biology” we train young scientists to become experts in the analysis of regulatory RNA networks and their biological consequences.

Speaker Michael Jantsch (MFPL), Isabella Moll (MFPL, Deputy)

Research Platform “Decoding mRNA decay in inflammation” Regulation of gene expression by changes in mRNA stability is one of the most important mechanisms for the control of immune responses. Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a key mRNA-destabilizing protein regulating the elimination of inflammatory mRNAs such as TNF and other cytokines. TTP deficiency in mice causes a severe inflammation and eventually premature death resulting from uncontrolled cytokine production showing that TTP is essential for balancing immune responses and for maintenance of homeostasis. The mechanisms of selective targeting of inflam26

matory mRNAs by TTP remain poorly understood.

This research platform funded by the University of Vienna employs structural biology in combination with bioinformatics and cell-based approaches to decipher how TTP selectively targets inflammatory mRNAs for degradation. A comprehensive understanding of the regulation of mRNA decay during immune responses will ultimately pave the way for exploitation of TTP in therapy of immune disorders.

Head Pavel Kovarik

Research Platform “Marine Rhythms of Life” The interdisciplinary team of the University of Vienna research platform “Marine Rhythms of Life” is on track to unravel how monthly clocks can function on a molecular level and impact on reproduction and regeneration of the marine bristleworm Platynereis dumerilii. These questions are jointly tackled by Kristin Tessmar-Raible, Florian Raible (both MFPL), Christopher Gerner (Institute of Analytical Chemistry) and Thomas Hummel (COSB, Faculty of Life Sciences). Together with Tobias Kaiser (Postdoc in Arndt von Haeseler’s group at CIBIV, MFPL), Kristin Tessmar-Raible and Thomas Hummel also try to find the molecular switches that evolution tinkers with to change daily and monthly timing in the marine midge Clunio marinus.

The only clock understood so far on cellular or molecular level is the daily clock. Yet, the existence of multiple oscillators is likely the rule rather than the exception across the animal kingdom, including humans.

Head Kristin Tessmar-Raible

Research Platform “Quantum Phenomena and Nanoscale Biological Systems – QuNaBioS”

QuNaBioS is an interfaculty research platform between the Department of Physics and the Center for Molecular Biology of the University of Vienna.

It encompasses a range of joint research activities between the Quantum Nanophysics group of Markus Arndt at the Department of Physics and the Dynamics of Coupled Biological Systems’ group of Alipasha Vaziri at the Vienna Biocenter.

The QuNaBioS research platform has the following goals: • Strengthening the research profile of the University of Vienna by realizing existing synergies between quantum physics and biology through the estab-

lishment of joint research projects at the interface between quantum, nanophysics and biology • Development of technologies and methodologies with applications in Life Sciences and their potential exploitation • Establishment of (expandable) structures for interdisciplinary research and training at the above interface

For detailed information visit www.univie.ac.at/qunabios Head Alipasha Vaziri 27

MFPL researchers use a broad spectrum of techniques to address novel questions in diverse areas of biology. Several in-house facilities, as well as services provided by the Campus Science Support Facilities (CSF) support the work of our scientists.

Scientific Facilities More information about the scientific facilities at MFPL and the CSF can be found on our website: www.mfpl.ac.at/research/scientific-facilities

BioOptics – Light Microscopy

Bio-NMR Facility

The facility currently houses four research instruments: a 500, two 600 and an 800MHz NMR spectrometer, two of which were recently refitted with latest-technology RF consoles.

In addition, the unit also has IT facilities for NMR data analysis, structure calculations and molecular modeling and visualization. The facility offers a full range of NMR research services from routine sample characterization or interaction mapping to structural characterization and determination of solution structures of biological macromolecules as well as development of NMR techniques and customized solutions.

The facility is dedicated to provide stateof-the art light microscopy equipment to MFPL researchers. Currently, three laser scanning confocal microscopes including Airy Scan superresolution possibility, two spinning disc units, a widefield live-imaging setup including microfluidics option, an epifluorescence deconvolution microscope and a microdissection-laser ablation instrument are available. The team also provides professional training and assists with expertise in experimental planning, technical setup, optimization and image analysis.

Mass Spectrometry Facility

The facility provides mass spectrometry and proteomics services using a range of state of the art LC-MS analysis platforms and bioinformatic tools for the identification and quantification of peptides, proteins, and their post-translational modifications. In October 2015, four Q Exactive instruments were upgraded to the newest generation (Q Exactive HF), which allows acquisition at almost twice the resolution at the same scan speed. The facility is run in close cooperation with the Protein Chemistry Group of the IMP and the CSF to efficiently maintain the analytical and computational equipment at peak performance and to promote scientific interactions at the Vienna Biocenter.

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Campus Science Support Facilities (CSF)

The CSF is a publicly funded non-profit organization that offers top scientific infrastructure operated and constantly refined by highly qualified experts. To date the following CSF core facilities are operational: Electron Microscopy, Advanced Microscopy, Next Generation Sequencing, Preclinical Phenotyping, Preclinical Imaging, Bioinformatics and Scientific Computing, Plant Sciences, Protein Technologies and Vienna Drosophila Resource Center. The CSF also oversees the Child Care Center.

In 2016, a metabolomics service will be added to the portfolio and CSF will change its name to Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF), providing old and new services in the well-known quality.

Histology Facility

The facility is equipped to produce high quality microscopic sections of frozen and paraffin-embedded material. Digital image capture and image analysis are available for bright field- and stereo-microscopy. Introduction, basic training and update sessions are held on demand by facility manager Irmgard Fischer.

Structural Biology Equipment Park

The pools of equipment cover protein expression (in E. coli, insect and mammalian cells) and purification (6 FPLC’s), biophysical/ biochemical characterization (dynamic and static light scattering, circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry and fluorimetry, isothermal calorimetry, UV/VIS absorption and fluorescence spectrophotometers; kinetic spectroscopy: stopped flow including fluorescence, fluorescence anisotropy; fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with confocal microscopy including FIDA, PCH. Equipment for crystallization comprises nano-drop crystallization robotics and multi-purpose liquid handling robot, two crystal imaging robots and a liquid handling robot dedicated to refinement of crystallization conditions, together with high-end X-ray diffraction equipment composed of a small focus high brilliance rotation anode generator, CCD detector, multi-axis goniometer and a cryo-cooling device.

Equipment Park – Genomics

The equipment park at MFPL consists of an Agilent 2-micron resolution high-throughput scanner, an Affymetrix GCS3000 7G system (including a scanner, fluidics station and hybridization oven) and a semi-automatic 96 channel pipettor (Viaflow096/Integra).

Plant Growth Facility

BioOptics – Flow Cytometry

The facility runs four flow cytometers for the measurement of fluorescence, size and granularity of cells or other particles in solution. The current equipment includes a FACS Fortessa (laser lines 405, 488, 561 and 640) and a FACS Aria cell sorter (laser lines 375, 405, 488, 561 and 633), as well as two FACS Calibur machines (laser lines 488 and 635).

The facility operates greenhouses for low cost plant growth, when temperature or humidity conditions have to correspond to pre-set values with only limited precision.

In addition, growth incubators are provided for small-scale experiments under non-standard conditions when precise control of humidity and temperature conditions is necessary. Furthermore, a tissue culture room for growth of plants on petri dishes and as sterile in vitro cultures is available. The facility complements the CSF-operated growth chambers (CSF Plant Sciences Facility).

Fish & Marine Facility

Monoclonal Antibody Facility

The facility specializes in the generation of custom-designed high quality mouse monoclonal antibodies against any custom antigens, e.g. peptides, recombinant proteins, post-translational modifications and non-peptide antigens. The facility is highly sought after by the local but also the international research community.

The fish facility provides maintenance and stock supply for the research groups working with both zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medakafish (Oryzias latipes). The marine facility serves to maintain and propagate several marine species, including the annelid worm Platynereis dumerilii, numerous strains of marine midges (Clunio marinus), as well as lab cultures of several sponges (Suberites domuncula).

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Education & Training One of MFPL’s biggest assets is our focus on the education and training of young scientists. MFPL provides an exciting scientific environment for Master students, PhDs and Postdocs in an outstanding international community at the Vienna Biocenter (VBC). Find out more about education and training at MFPL on our website: www.mfpl.ac.at/training

As part of the Vienna Biocenter (VBC), MFPL enables students to participate in high quality research in an academic environment and to establish connections with nearby companies and institutes.

new generations of scientists. Most of the practical courses for the studies of molecular life sciences take place on the premises of MFPL. Over 460m2 of teaching lab space offer well equipped, stateof-the-art training workspaces for undergraduate students.

Studies at the University of Vienna:

VBC Summer School

Studies at the Medical University of Vienna:

Student Service Center

• •

• • •

Bachelor of Biology Masters of Molecular Microbiology, Microbial Ecology and Immunobiology Masters of Molecular Biology Masters of Genetics and Developmental Biology PhD in Molecular Biology

A number of our research groups participate in the Vienna Biocenter Summer School, which offers 12-week courses for undergraduate students during the summer months. Working side by side with our scientists, students get insights into world-class research and prepare for graduate studies in molecular or cell biology. www.vbcsummerschool.at

The Student Service Center provides information about the study programs of the University of Vienna at MFPL, helps students and teachers with administrative procedures and organizes all teaching affairs from the scheduling of lectures to the awarding of degrees. http://molekularebiologie.univie.ac.at

• Diploma in Human Medicine • Masters of Medical Informatics • PhD in Medical Science

Undergraduate Studies and Teaching

MFPL scientists participate in the undergraduate curricula for students of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna. In 2015, they invested around 1,200 hours to educate and inspire

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Student Service Center Team Barbara Hamilton (Head) Angela Witte (Deputy Head) Renate Fauland

PhD Education at MFPL MFPL PhD program MFPL is strongly committed to provide interdisciplinary training and research opportunities for PhD students in a highly attractive and inspiring research environment. Our mission is to educate talented PhD students to become excellent researchers with a competitive professional profile, by fostering independence, inquisitive thinking and scientific rigor.

PhD students are recruited via a structured selection and interview process, usually held twice per year.

They have a primary affiliation with one of the participating research groups, and are enrolled as graduate students at the University of Vienna or the Medical University of Vienna. All MFPL PhD students can participate in a complementary training program and receive a competitive salary conforming to the guidelines of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

Vienna Biocenter PhD program MFPL groups also participate in the Vienna Biocenter (VBC) PhD program – an international doctoral program in Life Sciences that aims to empower curious researchers. The training is focused around a research project – students learn science by doing science – and the program ensures that students have the necessary support and resources.

All PhD students participate in an introductory course at the beginning of their training, which can then be furthered by an elective program designed for and with PhD students: advanced courses and career development workshops. Plus, the Biocenter has a vibrant scientific atmosphere and is supported by outstanding scientific facilities.

The 144 PhD students from 27 countries at MFPL form an active community. Their elected representatives organize professional as well as social activities and make their voices heard in MFPL’s decision bodies.

IMP, IMBA, GMI and MFPL jointly organize the VBC PhD program, in collaboration with the University of Vienna. The VBC PhD program opens two calls for applicants per year; each offering around 20 fully funded PhD positions.

www.mfpl.ac.at/phd-program

www.vbcphdprogramme.at

PhD Program Coordinator Gijs Versteeg MFPL Graduate School Office Gerlinde Aschauer

Scientific Training Coordinator Inês Crisóstomo Program Administrator Christopher Robinson

PhD Representatives 2015 Daniel Serwas Freia von Raußendorf

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Topic-focused Doctoral Program Tracks at MFPL MFPL is proud to host four Doctoral Programs reviewed and funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

• Chromosome Dynamics • Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Signaling • RNA Biology • Structure and Interaction of Biological Macromolecules

Each of these programs involves several of our research groups and offers a specific curriculum fitting its scientific focus. More information about the these programs can be found on our website: www.mfpl.ac.at/training/phd-opportunities

Chromosome Dynamics DNA encodes the genetic information, the blueprint for any living organism.

In higher eukaryotes, it resides in the cell nucleus, is associated with proteins forming chromatin and partitioned into linear units called chromosomes. The readout of genetic information, its maintenance and faithful transmission from one generation to the next depends on intact chromosomes. Untimely structural changes, failure to protect DNA from deterioration, impaired DNA repair or missegregation of chromosomes during cell division seriously compromise the fitness of the organism and cause numerous pathologies.

Understanding the molecular basis of chromosome maintenance and dynamics is therefore essential for human health and fertility, plant breeding but also for industrial and food production. Projects within the program cover a wide range of aspects of chromosome dynamics, including (somatic and meiotic) DNA repair, chromosome organization, movement and segregation, telomere function, 32

dynamics of chromatin modifications and gene regulation. The doctoral program established platforms for seminars and retreats to train students to present their research, critically evaluate their results and foster intellectual exchange. Special workshops, with an emphasis on state-of-the-art techniques for chromosome research, scientific conduct, data presentation and career planning, enable students to reach beyond their actual PhD topic while gaining a comprehensive understanding of ‘chromosome metabolism’. All involved faculty members are committed to high-quality education and seek to support and nurture skilled, enthusiastic, critically thinking researchers to gain a profound education in chromosome biology.

Speaker Peter Schlögelhofer Program Manager Marie-Therese Kurzbauer

Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Signaling

From organisms to cells to molecules – MMCS groups investigate signaling at different levels.

Cells manage to survive, proliferate, and differentiate in their environment by interpreting the signals they receive from it and translating them into the right output. If signaling goes awry, even only in part of the cells, the whole organism is at risk.

MFPL is home to a strong group of scientists whose common long-term research goal is to investigate and understand signal transduction mechanisms in a variety of cell-based and organ-

Structure and Interaction of Biological Macromolecules

ismal systems. The program offers structured, state-of-the-art training in signal transduction and competitive PhD projects that combine biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics to study cell signaling in different model organisms.

Speaker Manuela Baccarini Program Manager Elena Rodionova

RNA Biology The RNA Biology Network brings together 20 research groups from MFPL, the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Vienna, CeMM, IMBA, IMP and GMI, and provides a focused PhD training in the world of RNAs – covering the areas structure & folding, translation, transcriptomics & bioinformatics, regulatory RNAs, RNA processing & transport, epigenetics & gene expression. Students are given the opportunity to embark on a scientific adventure and profit from this network by getting excellent advice from researchers of various RNA fields. They are also integrated into the Special Research Program “RNA Regulation of the Transcriptome”.

Structurefunction relationships in the doctoral program “Integrative Structural Biology”

Speaker Andrea Barta Program Manager Nicola Wiskocil

Funding for the doctoral program finished officially in August 2014. However, collegiates from the program continued to publish and finish their theses. Over 40 publications, some in very prestigious journals, as well as 20 completed PhD theses were associated with the program. In addition, these achievements as well as the experience obtained with this program proved to be of exceptional value in the application for the doctoral program “Integrative Structural Biology” that was approved in May 2015.

This program, which features eight faculty members (six from MFPL, one from IMP and one from the Medical University of Vienna in the 9th district) will start on 1st January, 2016. Projects within the program apply structural and biophysical techniques to a wide range of biological systems introducing state-of-the-art techniques, methodology and theory to the PhD students.

The Vienna RNA Meeting 2015 featured an eminent group of international scientists who together with Vienna based scientists demonstrated the importance of RNA related activities in cancer, neuroscience, and immunology. The invited speakers were Susan Ackerman, Tom Cooper, Pascale Cossart, Petra Dersch, Martin Jinek, Sten Linnarsson, Johannes Popow, Mani Ramaswami, Gideon Rechavi, Phillip Sharp, Joan Steitz, Georg Stöcklin, Alison Tyson-Capper.

Speaker Tim Skern 33

VIPS - Vienna International Postdoctoral Program

©Daniel Hinterramskogler

Since 2010, MFPL hosts the Vienna International Postdoctoral Program for Molecular Life Sciences (VIPS), a pioneering program promoting outstanding young researchers.

With support from the Austrian government and the City of Vienna, VIPS aims to reinvent the Postdoc career. VIPS offers a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories, including an individual research budget and travel money, which is at the free disposal of the fellow.

VIPS associated Postdocs

Brooke Morriswood – Group Graham Warren Nicolas Coudevylle – Group Robert Konrat Teresa Cvetkov – Group Thomas Leonard Marlene Jagut – Group Verena Jantsch Meghan Lybecker – Group Renée Schroeder

Career Development for postgraduates

VIPS Fellows

Between 2010 and 2013, 19 Postdocs were selected to join the program, and have since started their fellowship.

Stephanie Bannister – Group Florian Raible (April 2011 – March 2014) Gustavo Bezerra – Group Kristina Djinović (since March 2013) Thorsten Brach – Group Claudine Kraft (Jan. 2012 – Dec. 2014) Nicola Cavallari – Group Andrea Barta (Jan. 2013 – Oct. 2015) David Cisneros Armas – Group Alipasha Vaziri (Feb. 2012 – Jan. 2015) Marcus Dekens – Group Kristin Tessmar-Raible (Nov. 2013 – Oct. 2014) Jeroen Dobbelaere – Group Alexander Dammermann (since April 2013) Daniela Hahn – Group Alwin Köhler (Sept. 2011 – Feb. 2013) Angela Hancock – Group Joachim Hermisson (Sept. 2011 – June 2014) Tobias Kaiser – Group Kristin Tessmar-Raible (Feb. 2011 – Jan. 2014) Elżbieta Kowalska – Group Christina Waldsich (April 2012 – Sept. 2015) Bianca Mladek – Group Bojan Žagrović (March 2011 – May 2013) Maxim Molodtsov – Group Alipasha Vaziri (Feb. 2012 – Jan. 2015) Susanne Pfeifer – Group Arndt von Haeseler (Jan. 2013 – March 2015) Robert Prevedel – Group Alipasha Vaziri (since Sept. 2011) Roger Revilla-i-Domingo – Group Florian Raible (since March 2012) Ana Catarina Ribeiro Carrão – Group Roland Foisner (since April 2011) Jusytna Sawa-Makarska – Group Sascha Martens (Sept. 2010 – April 2015) Petronela Weisová – Group Friedrich Propst (Jan. 2011 – Feb. 2015)

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As well as Postdoc positions, VIPS offers a wide range of career development activities and training not only for the VIPS Postdocs but also for all postgraduates at MFPL: • • • • • •

Mentoring and coaching Project management and leadership Communication and presentation Publication writing Time management Grant writing

VIPS Scientific Coordinator Renée Schroeder Program Manager Gerlinde Aschauer Postdoc Representatives Stephanie Bannister Roland Tschismarov www.mfpl.ac.at/vips

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Participants of the PhD and Postdoc Retreat 2015.

Science is about making connections Research is a profession dependent on collaboration and intellectual exchange.

At the Vienna Biocenter (VBC), scientific exchange is an intrinsic quality of the strong interconnections between all the institutions, basic research centers and companies alike. Regular seminar series are organized by all VBC-members, VBC-wide as well as intra-institutional. The weekly VBC Seminar Series serves as a platform for scientists from the VBC to exchange ideas and discuss their research.

VBC PhD award winners 2015 (f.l.t.r.): Bettina Wurzer, Renée Schroeder, Dominik Handler, Krzysztof Chylinski and Julius Brennecke (on behalf of Grzegorz Sienski).

MFPL Regular Seminars

The weekly MFPL Faculty Lunches serve as a platform for group leaders to present their work in a chalk board talk to other faculty members and discuss new ideas and directions for their groups.

In addition, there are also thematically focused seminar series, like the seminar series “Modern Concepts in Structural Biology”.

VAPA

The MFPL Postdoc community is part of the larger Vienna Area Postdoc Association (VAPA) that represents the institutes at the Vienna Biocenter (GMI, IMBA, IMP and MFPL) as well as CEMM and ISTA. The aim of VAPA is to provide a platform for all Postdocs in Vienna to develop their scientific careers and use the Postdoc network for their benefit.

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PhD and Postdoc Retreat 2015

The retreat provides MFPL PhD students and Postdocs with the opportunity to present their research to colleagues and invited guests during talk and poster sessions and to build peer networks across the institute. During the 2-day event in Brno, Czech Republic, the attending PhD students and Postdocs explored ways to gather and communicate data, both amongst scientists and to the general public.

VBC PhD Symposium 2015

The scientific exchange between PhD students at the Vienna Biocenter bears fruit each autumn in the form of a PhD symposium. The symposium, which is organized by students for students, is intended to widen students’ perspectives by exploring a topic not closely related to current VBC research.

2015’s event entitled “Communication – Let’s talk about it” included sessions from 18 international scientists speaking about the role of communication in different fields of biology. Each year at the end of the symposium, outstanding PhD theses are rewarded with a VBC PhD award. This year the awards went to Bettina Wurzer (Martens lab, MFPL), Krzysztof Chylinski (Charpentier and Schroeder lab, MFPL), Dominik Handler and Grzegorz Sienski (Brennecke lab, IMBA).

The MFPL Community Launched at MFPL’s Career Day 2015, the MFPL Community provides a network to connect current and former MFPL members.

MFPL Community President Amanda Jamieson (left), MFPL alumnus Andreas Pilz (right) and Thomas Tallian (below) in discussion with PhD students and Postdocs at the MFPL Career Day 2015.

MFPL Career Day 2015

The MFPL Career Day takes place on a biannual basis and offers our students and Postdocs a fantastic opportunity to get information on a wide variety of career possibilities in the field of life sciences and beyond.

For the third Career Day we welcomed 11 guests, among them five MFPL alumni. They all initially trained to be scientists and then pursued careers in pharma industry, patent law, lecturing and science illustration – to name just a few – and discussed career options with over 70 participants. The discussions in small groups created a comfortable atmosphere far away from the usual classroom lectures and allowed talking about individual interests. In addition, two career-focused workshops gave participants the chance to practice assessment center and job interview situations.

The aim of the MFPL Community is to build strong and long-lasting connections to MFPL alumni and current MFPL members, as well as to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between

its members. MFPL Community President Amanda Jamieson, former University Assistant in the lab of Thomas Decker and now Assistant Professor at Brown University (USA), gave a brief overview over the network and its “nod”, the MFPL Community website portal. The website portal includes a directory to search for other members of the MFPL Community, career stories of MFPL alumni, an online job board and the possibility to sign up for the Community Newsletter and for event invites.

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Current or former students, researchers, employees and other affiliates of MFPL are welcome to become members and register over the website portal.

The membership is free of charge.

For questions and inquiries, please contact community@mfpl.ac.at. www.mfpl.ac.at/community

MFPL Life

To make sure that the scientists can relax and recharge their batteries, the Max F. Perutz Laboratories offers a variety of social activities. MFPL employees are also actively involved in charity work.

Halloween Happy Hour

Happy Hours

Happy Hours are institute-wide get-togethers for which MFPL sponsors food and drinks, offering a unique chance to break the daily routine and get to know colleagues on a different level than at the bench or in a seminar.

The theme of the Happy Hour is chosen by the organizing research group, giving free rein to their creativity.

The Vienna Biocenter Amateur Drama Club (VBC ADC)

The Vienna Biocenter Amateur Drama Club (VBC ADC) is an extra-curricular society based at the VBC and open to all its meming spr C AD Poster for the VBC bers. No previous experience is necessary, ” lle play “A VBC Vaudevi and the emphasis is very much on having fun. In addition to rehearsing for shows, the club regularly meets for social activities and workshops.

The MFPL team at the Cancer Research Run 2015

MFPL Sports

To offer researchers a convenient way to fit sports activities into their busy schedule, as well as socializing and teambuilding with colleagues, several MFPL sports clubs exist. Apart from that, MFPL sponsors special sport events such as the Vienna City Marathon and the Cancer Research Run.

Helping refugees

MFPL Group leader Ernst Müllner has been involved in the initiative “Train of Hope”, a multi-media and self-organizing network to aid the refugees who are coming to Europe. With the support of MFPL employees, he has collected donations of € 4,500 that were used to supply T-shirts, underwear, food and toiletries for the arriving refugees at Vienna’s Main Train Station.

Serving meals to the arriving refugees at Vienna‘s Main Train Station.

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One of Europe’s leading Life Science locations

The Vienna Biocenter Around 25 research institutes and companies, 2,100 scientific employees and students, over 90,000 m2 lab and office space for Life Sciences – the Vienna Biocenter at Neu Marx is one of Europe’s leading Life Science hubs.

The success story of the Vienna Biocenter (VBC) began in the 1980s with the foundation of the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), the basic research center of Boehringer Ingelheim. Following the relocation of five university departments – that are now under the umbrella of the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) – to the Neu Marx area in Vienna’s Third District, the VBC has grown continuously. Profiting from the assets offered at the location, the University of Applied Sciences and two flagship institutes of the Austrian Academy of Science round off the academic institutions at the VBC. Since their founding by the Academy, the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) and the Gregor Mendel Institute for Molecular Plant Biology (GMI) have developed rapidly into two of the most renowned Austrian research institutes in their respective fields.

Motivated and talented young students are offered two international PhD programs: the VBC PhD Program and the MFPL PhD Program. During the selections that take place twice a year, applicants from all over the world compete for the attractive positions. Furthermore, the VBC summer school provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to work together with leading scientists at the VBC. A growing number of biotech-companies complement the training and research activities at the

Vienna Biocenter. Currently, eighteen commercial companies reinforce the collaborative potential of academic and applied research at the Vienna Biocenter.

Moreover, the VBC hosts institutes and companies dedicated to science communication. The publicly funded organization Open Science aims at fostering the dialogue between the world of science and the public, and it also runs the Vienna Open Lab (a joint initiative with IMBA), which has already provided 45,000 visitors with an interactive glimpse into the Life Sciences. Biolution has established a reputation as a professional agency for science PR and EU-project application in the field of Life Siences.

The research institutes at the VBC are home to 1,400 experts and 700 students enrolled at the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Applied Sciences. The passionate and creative scientists in over 100 scientific groups and from 40 nations have acquired 32 ERC grants, 11 Wittgenstein Awards and publish around 350 scientific papers per year. They are supported by the Campus Science Support Facilities (CSF), providing first class scientific infrastructure.

The successful cooperations, the broad expertise of the researchers and the established infrastructure offer unique working conditions that enable the VBC members to be at the forefront of Life Science research.

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• 4 Academic research centers • 18 Biotech companies • 3 Universities

• 90,000 m2 lab and office space • 45,000 Vienna Open Lab visitors

• • • •

1,400 Employees 250 PhD students 100 Scientific groups 40 Nationalities

• 32 ERC Grants • 11 Wittgenstein Awards • 350 Publications / Year

MFPL wishes to thank the following institutions for financial support of research projects: Parent institutions

University of Vienna

Medical University of Vienna

Funding Organizations and Programs

BMWFW – Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy

Boehringer Ingelheim

City of Vienna

DFG – German Research Foundation

ERC – European Research Council

FFG – Austrian Research Promotion Agency

FWF – Austrian Science Fund

Millipore

Herzfelder Stiftung

HFSP – Human Frontier Science Program

Neuropore Therapeutics

ÖAW – Austrian Academy of Sciences

Upstate Research Executive Agency (REA, EU)

Santa Cruz

Vienna Water Monitoring GmbH (VWM)

Wings for Life

WWTF – Vienna Science and Technology Fund

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Max F. Perutz Laboratories

Vienna Biocenter (VBC)

Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9

1030 Vienna, Austria

Phone: +43 1 4277 24001

Fax: +43 1 4277 9240 office@mfpl.ac.at www.mfpl.ac.at

Impressum Published by Max F. Perutz Laboratories Support GmbH Editors Lilly Sommer

Ulrike Keller

contributions from MFPL researchers Pictures MFPL, Daniel Hinterramskogler

MFPL staff and scientists

Universität Wien

MedUni Wien, Matern

IMP/IMBA Graphics Department, www.airpix.at

Vienna Biocenter, Robert Herbst

Barbara Mair

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