New Collaborative Research Centre
Funding for Ina Huppertz and Stephanie Panier
The new SFB 1678 "Systemic Consequences of Fidelity Changes in mRNA and Protein Biosynthesis" will investigate why more errors occur in the production of mRNAs and proteins with increasing age and how these changes affect cells and the organism as a whole.
Although the biosynthesis of mRNAs and proteins is already well understood, a comprehensive picture of what happens when these processes no longer function reliably is still lacking. The work of the researchers involved in the CRC has already shown that this reduced reliability leads to the development of diseases and age-related physical changes. Thanks to new technologies, the researchers can now study the effects of errors in mRNA and protein production in more detail. The team of experts in molecular and cell biology, systems biology and bioinformatics will combine molecular biology methods with computational modelling to understand the relationships between the processes.
Co-applicant Dr Ina Huppertz from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing says: "Our long-term goal is to understand how these mistakes can lead to disease in humans. The funding will also help us to identify new therapeutic approaches for these diseases".
The new SFB will receive a total of around 10 million euros from the DFG for the first funding phase until the end of 2028. It will fund the research activities of Dr Ina Huppertz and Dr Stephanie Panier at the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing. Prof Dr Andreas Beyer from the CECAD Cluster of Excellence in Aging Research at the University of Cologne is also being funded.
