Press Releases 2012

Heidelberg, 19 December 2012 Sync to grow Researchers at EMBL are one step closer to understanding how embryos develop and grow while always keeping the same proportions between their various parts. Their findings, published today in Nature, reveal that scaling of the future vertebrae in a mouse embryo is controlled by how the expression of some specific genes oscillates, in a coordinated way, between neighbouring cells. more

Heidelberg, 5 December 2012 My microbes We all have E.coli bacteria in our gut but each of us carries a version that is genetically slightly different. The same can be said of most gut microbes: our own gut metagenome, that is the collection of all the genes of all our gut microbes, appears to be really specific to each of us, and to remain stable over time. These findings, published in Nature, could have widespread consequences in medicine. more

Heidelberg/Hinxton, 31 October 2012 Spot the difference EMBL scientists and colleagues in the 1000 Genomes Project present the first map of human genetic variation that combines everything from tiny changes in the genetic code to major alterations in our chromosomes, based on the genomes of 1092 healthy people from Europe, the Americas and East Asia. Their results, published in Nature, open new approaches for research on the genetic causes of disease. more

Press Coverage

• Der Spiegel , 1 November 2012 1000 Genomes Project: Erbgut von mehr als tausend Menschen entziffert
• The Scientist , 31 October 2012 Mapping Genetic Variation

Heidelberg, 27 September 2012 Loop the loop, DNA style Scientists at EMBL and Oxford University discovered that, by forming or undoing gene loops, cells manipulate the path of the transcription machinery – which reads out instructions from DNA – controlling whether it moves along the genetic material in one direction or two. The work is published online today in Science. more

Heidelberg, 23 September 2012 Cellular eavesdropping made easy Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg devised a new approach for studying the proteins cells release to communicate with each other, react to changes, or even to help them move. Published online today in Nature Biotechnology, the work also opens new avenues for drug and biomarker screening. more

Press Coverage

• Science Omega , 27 September 2012 Uncovering secretion secrets in cell cultures
• ProteoMonitor (GenomeWeb) , 5 October 2012 EMBL Team Combines Click Chemistry and SILAC Mass Spec for Improved Secretome Analysis

Hinxton, 5 September 2012 Fast forward for biomedical research An international team of researchers reveal that much of what has been called ‘junk DNA’ in the human genome is actually a massive control panel with millions of switches regulating the activity of our genes. Without these switches, genes would not work – and mutations in these regions might lead to human disease. Discovered by hundreds of scientists working on the ENCODE Project, the new information is so comprehensive and complex that it has given rise to a new publishing model. more

Press Coverage

• Nature News , 5 September 2012 ENCODE: The human encyclopaedia
• Die Zeit (Germany) , 5 September 2012 "Das Genom ist ein Dschungel voll seltsamer Kreaturen"
• Not Exactly Rocket Science (Discover Magazine Blogs) , 5 September 2012 ENCODE: the rough guide to the human genome
• BBC , 5 September 2012 Detailed map of genome function [with Video]
• The Guardian (UK) , 5 September 2012 Breakthrough study overturns theory of 'junk DNA' in genome [with Video]

Heidelberg, 3 August 2012 How the cell swallows Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells ‘swallow’ nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study, published today in Cell, is the first to follow changes in the shape of the cell’s membrane and track proteins thought to influence those changes. more

Grenoble, 2 August 2012 Catching the cap-snatcher Researchers at EMBL Grenoble have determined the detailed 3-dimensional structure of part of the flu virus’ RNA polymerase, an enzyme that is crucial for influenza virus replication. The research was done on the 2009 pandemic influenza strain but it will help scientists to design innovative drugs against all the different influenza strains. more

Press Coverage

• The Mail on Sunday (UK) , 2 August 2012 New anti-flu drugs could be on the market within years after scientists create 3D map of part of the virus

Hinxton, 19 July 2012 Of flies and men Researchers led by EMBL-EBI and the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics (MPI) have discovered a way in which cells can adjust the activity of many different genes at once. Their findings, published in Science, overturn commonly held views and reveal an important mechanism behind gender differences. more

Hinxton, 12 July 2012 Italy pledges to be part of ELIXIR research infrastructure Italy has pledged to participate in ELIXIR, a major undertaking to safeguard the results of life science research in Europe. more

Heidelberg, 5 July 2012 Stop and go A protein called Lem4 directs a crucial step of cell division by preventing the progress of one molecule while waving another through, scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have found. The study is published online today in Cell. more

Heidelberg, 21 June 2012 Flu fighters Savira pharmaceuticals GmbH, a spin-off of EMBL based in Vienna, Austria, has signed a collaboration and license agreement with Roche, to promote the joint development of new and innovative drug-candidates to fight both seasonal and pandemic influenza. more

Heidelberg, 3 June 2012 Export extravaganza In the first comprehensive census of human cells’ export workers, scientists at EMBL Heidelberg, found an unexpected variety of genes involved in transporting molecules to the cell membrane and beyond. The work is published online today in Nature Cell Biology. more

Heidelberg, 3 June 2012 Video Release: Filming life in the fast lane New microscope enabled scientists at EMBL Heidelberg to film a fruit fly embryo, in 3D, from when it was about two-and-a-half hours old until it walked away from the microscope as a larva. more

Press Coverage

• New Scientist TV , 6 June 2012 3D movie captures fruit fly embryo turning into larva
• Sciences et Avenir (France) , 5 June 2012 [EN VIDEO] Le développement d’un embryon de mouche

Heidelberg, 3 June 2012 Shape-shifting shell Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have for the first time uncovered the structure of the shell that surrounds the genetic material of retroviruses such as HIV. The study, published online today in Nature, provides information on a part of the virus that may be a potential future drug target. more

Heidelberg, 31 May 2012 The cell’s ‘New World’ Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg catalogued all proteins that bind to RNA, finding 300 previously unknown to do so. The study, published online today in Cell, could help to explain the role of genes that have been linked to diseases like diabetes and glaucoma. more

Heidelberg, 24 May 2012 Picture Release: More than meets the eye Images of the cell’s transport pods, produced at EMBL Heidelberg, revealed a molecular version of the robots from Transformers, published online today in Science. more

Heidelberg, 24 May 2012 Locating ground zero Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have discovered exactly how cells called microglia detect the site of brain injury – a finding that paves the way for new medical approaches to conditions where microglia’s ability to locate hazardous material is compromised, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. more

Press Coverage

• The Scientist , 1 September 2012 Finding Injury

Hinxton, 22 April 2012 A matter of priorities Bacteria evolved ‘risk management’ strategy to protect key genes from mutation, scientists at EMBL-EBI have found. The work is published today in Nature. more

Heidelberg, 20 March 2012 Picture Release As spring arrives, flowers seem to bloom everywhere – even under the electron microscopes at EMBL. The image, which has been false-coloured for artistic effect, shows a slice through the tails of mouse sperm, where each ‘flower’ is the tail that a sperm cell wags to swim. more

Heidelberg, 18 March 2012 Need for speed In fruit fly egg cells, oskar RNA carries a stamped ticket detailing its destination and guaranteeing it will travel fast enough, scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have found. The study, published in NSMB, provides clues to how a single molecule could receive tickets for different destinations, depending on what type of cell it is in. more

Heidelberg, 1 March 2012 Flying high in Europe A consortium of leading IT providers and CERN, EMBL and ESA announce a partnership to launch a European cloud computing platform. ‘Helix Nebula ‐ the Science Cloud’, will support the massive IT requirements of European scientists, and become available to governmental organisations and industry after an initial pilot phase. more

Heidelberg, 28 February 2012 Making the most of what you have The bacterium that causes atypical pneumonia is helping scientists uncover how cells make the most of limited resources. By measuring all the proteins this bacterium produces, scientists at EMBL Heidelberg and collaborators have found that the secret is fine-tuning. more

Heidelberg, 23 February 2012 New distributed research infrastructure for structural biology Instruct, a new distributed research infrastructure for the science of structural biology, is formally launched today at a signing ceremony in Brussels attended by Stephen Cusack, Head of EMBL Grenoble, and the European Commission Director-General for Research and Innovation, among others. more

Press Coverage

• Nature , 28 February 2012 Structural biologists share their toys

Heidelberg, 19 February 2012 Trapped in a ring A ring-like structure found in a protein complex called ‘Elongator’ provides new clues to its tasks inside the cell and to its role in neurodegenerative diseases. It is the first three-dimensional structure of part of this complex, and was published online today in NSMB. more

Hamburg, 14 February 2012 Stretching helices help keep muscles together Scientists at EMBL Hamburg have discovered that the elastic part of myomesin, a protein that links muscle filaments, can stretch to two and a half times its original length, unfolding in a way that was hitherto unknown. The work is published today in PLoS Biology. more

Heidelberg, 2 February 2012 Collective action Genetic switches called enhancers and the molecules that activate them can be used to draw a cell’s family tree, EMBL scientists have found. more

Heidelberg, 19 January 2012 Rigged to explode? An inherited mutation is likely the link between exploding chromosomes and the paediatric brain tumour which is the second most common cause of childhood mortality in developed countries, scientists at EMBL, DKFZ and the University Hospital, all in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered. more

Press Coverage

• Nature , 1 February 2012 "Genome shatters in brain cancer"

Hinxton, 12 January 2012 Evolution by 'copy-paste' Researchers at EMBL-EBI and colleagues have found a simple and widespread way in which DNA is remodelled in six mammalian species, including humans. The study, published in the journal Cell, sheds light on an ancient mechanism of evolution that is still at work in our genome. more

Heidelberg, 8 January 2012 Tracking genes’ remote controls Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, can now see - and predict - exactly when remote controls, genetic sequences known as enhancers in cells' nuclei, are activated in a real embryo. more