Sebastian Thallmair has been appointed Senior Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS). He has been a research group leader and Fellow at FIAS since 2020 and was appointed W2 Professor at Goethe University Frankfurt in April 2026.

Sebastian Thallmair is a driving force within the SCALE Cluster of Excellence, where his research contributes to understanding cellular structures through computational modelling and simulation. His group combines approaches ranging from quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics to coarse-grained models to investigate biomolecular systems at different spatial and temporal resolutions.

A particular focus of his research is the development of light-controlled molecules and understanding their interactions with specific proteins. Within SCALE, this expertise contributes to the creation of digital representations of cellular structures and, ultimately, to a better understanding of cellular function and disease mechanisms.

We congratulate Sebastian Thallmair on this well-deserved appointment and look forward to his continued contributions to SCALE, FIAS and Goethe University Frankfurt.

For more information, please visit the FIAS website.

Photo: Sebastian Thallmair (left) was appointed Senior Fellow at FIAS on August 27, 2026. FIAS Director Jan Wörner congratulated him on behalf of the entire institute. Credit: Störiko/FIAS

Professor of Synthetic Biophysics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and SCALE member Edward Lemke is among the latest recipients of an ERC Advanced Grant, one of the most prestigious and competitive research funding awards in Europe. 

The scientist is being honored for his pioneering work at the interface of synthetic biology, chemical biology, and biophysics, which he will now extend through a new project to image how proteins move and change shape inside living cells. The European Research Council’s Advanced Grant scheme is one of its most highly endowed funding instruments, reserved for established research leaders with an outstanding scientific track record who are looking to open up genuinely new fields of inquiry. Edward Lemke will receive around €3 million over the next five years to lead his project, Molecular Shape Microscopy (MShapeM), his second Advanced Grant, following one awarded in 2019 and an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2015.

MShapeM — Capturing molecules in motion

Understanding how proteins work inside living cells means seeing them in action but today’s imaging methods force a trade-off: nanoscale precision or real-time speed, not both. Techniques sharp enough to resolve a protein’s structure down to the nanometer typically only work on cells that have been fixed and are no longer alive, while live-cell imaging cannot capture that level of structural detail.

MShapeM is designed to close this gap by achieving real-time, nanometer-resolution imaging of how proteins’ shapes change as they function inside living cells. The project integrates advances across three domains: engineered protein and RNA labeling that incorporates fluorescent dyes at precise points within a protein; new dual-fluorogenic dye chemistry that improves signal clarity for live-cell imaging; and advanced super-resolution microscopy capable of tracking multiple dyes at very high temporal and spatial resolution simultaneously. Together, these tools aim to produce what Lemke’s team calls “molecular action movies” — continuous, high-resolution views of large, dynamic proteins whose conformational changes are central to their biological function but have remained invisible to every existing imaging method.

About Edward Lemke

Since 2018, Edward Lemke has served as Adjunct Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and Professor of Synthetic Biophysics at JGU Mainz. Lemke’s research focuses on intrinsically disordered proteins, proteins that lack a single fixed structure and instead shift between many different shapes, and on engineering synthetic biology tools to study how these dynamic molecules function inside cells. His honors include the 2025 Biophysical Society Fellowship, election as an EMBO Member in 2022, the FEBS Anniversary Award, the Chica and Heinz Schaller Award for Biomedical Research, and an Emmy Noether grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG), among others. He currently coordinates a DFG Priority Programme on functional phase separation and is spokesperson for a JGU-led Collaborative Research Center on polymer concepts in cellular function.

About the ERC Advanced Grant

The ERC Advanced Grant is one of four core funding schemes offered by the European Research Council, established by the European Union in 2007 to support frontier research of any nationality, age, or discipline. Advanced Grants are reserved for senior, established researchers with a significant track record of major research achievements over the past decade. The grants are funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

📖 More information: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz press release: https://press.uni-mainz.de/erc-advanced-grants-for-two-researchers-of-mainz-university/

More Information on Lemke Lab: https://lemkelab.com

📸 Photo credit: Thomas Hartmann / IMB

The director of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research and SCALE member is among the winners of the internationally renowned Kavli Prize. The scientist is being honored for her discovery of local protein synthesis in neurons, which is of great importance for brain development and plasticity.

Erin Schuman shares the Kavli Prize 2026 in the field of neuroscience with Christine Holt of the University of Cambridge (UK), Kelsey Martin of the Simons Foundation (USA) and Oswald Steward of the University of California, Irvine (USA). The Kavli Prize is regarded as one of the most prestigious prizes in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience and endowed with one Million US dollars in each field. 

”Honoring these excellent scientists is not only a recognition of achievements, it is an investment in our shared future, affirming the curiosity, rigor, and courage that drive human progress”, says Annelin Eriksen, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Local control of neuronal connections

Through learning and experience, connections between nerve cells (neurons) continue to form right into late adulthood and constantly adapt to changing challenges. In the process, the brain’s neural circuits are remodeled, and connections between neurons are formed and maintained – a capability known as ‘synaptic plasticity’. This adaptability is underpinned by proteins in the neuron that can be locally controlled and regulated.

The scientists awarded the Kavli Prize in 2026 have uncovered fundamental principles of how neuronal protein production occurs at the molecular level – from the activity-dependent transcription of genes into mRNA to the local translation of mRNA into new proteins in the neuronal processes, the axons and dendrites and synapses. Their findings provide spectacular insights into the mechanisms that enable the brain to be constantly remodeled through experience.

Furthermore, Erin Schuman has developed powerful molecular tools to identify and visualize newly synthesized proteins at high resolution. In doing so, she has elucidated how mRNA levels, protein synthesis and protein degradation are regulated within specific cellular compartments.

“I’m thrilled to be honored with this recognition with Christine, Kelsey and Os and also so pleased that the fascinating machines and molecules inside the neuron are getting the attention they deserve”, says Schuman.

About Erin Schuman

Erin Schuman was born in California in 1963. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Southern California, she went on to obtain a PhD in Neuroscience at Princeton University. She then conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. In 1993, she joined the Biology Department at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where she remained until 2009 and was appointed as an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) from 1997 to 2009. In 2009, she relocated to Frankfurt with her husband, Gilles Laurent, to establish the new Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. 

Schuman has won a number of prestigious awards, including the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine, the Rosenstiel Award, the Brain Prize, the Körber European Science Prize and the HFSP Nakasone Award. She is a member of The Royal Society in the UK, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine in the US and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

About the Kavli Prize

The Kavli Prize is a partnership between The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Kavli Foundation (US), and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. It is awarded every two years and was first presented in 2008. So far 73 scientists, from eight countries have received the Prize. All laureates are chosen by committees whose members are recommended by six of the world’s most renowned science societies and academies. Thus, the prize is regarded as one of the most important awards in nanoscience, astrophysics and neuroscience.

Photo Prof. Erin Schuman Credit: Max Planck Institute for Brain Research / Liwlig

Further Information Press release by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters | Press release by the MPG

Excellent supervision is a key foundation for successful doctoral studies — and this is
exactly what GRADE, the central post-/graduate academy of Goethe University, seeks to
promote. With the “Best Doctoral Supervision” award, endowed with €5,000, GRADE
recognizes outstanding commitment in doctoral supervision, highlights exemplary
mentoring practices, and honors supervisors who make a lasting impact on the academic
and personal development of doctoral candidates.

Nominations may be submitted until 15 September 2026.

The award will be presented during a ceremony on November 30, 2026.

For more information and details of past award events, please visit website.

Scientists discover RNA-driven mechanism that helps neurons endure prolonged starvation

Ribosomes, the cell’s protein-making factories, consume large amounts of energy as they build the proteins that keep cells alive and functioning. When cells experience stress – such as lack of nutrients or sudden drops in temperature – they quickly switch into survival mode. New research from the Schuman Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt now reveals an unexpected way cells manage this transition: By pairing up inactive ribosomes using a ribosomal RNA link. This RNA-based mechanism reveals a previously unknown role for ribosomal RNA in the cellular stress response.

Ribosomes are large molecular machines made of protein and RNA that build all proteins in the cell. Because protein production is extremely energy-intensive, cells rapidly reduce protein synthesis when stressed. It has long been known that bacterial cells pair their inactive ribosomes into so-called “hibernating disomes” however, such structures had not previously been identified in animal cells.

An unexpected role for ribosomal RNA during cellular stress

Using advanced imaging techniques, Erin Schuman and her team at the Department of Synaptic Plasticity at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt discovered that stressed animal cells – including neurons – assemble inactive ribosomes into tightly linked pairs, known as disomes. These ribosome pairs are not accidental collisions or artifacts, but a regulated and reversible response to stress. The new study was published today in Science.

“Surprisingly, the two ribosomes are not held together by proteins, as is common in bacteria. Instead, the connection is made by a specific piece of ribosomal RNA called an expansion segment”, explains one of the lead authors, postdoctoral researcher, Andre Schwarz.

Expansion segments are long, flexible RNA “tentacles” that protrude from ribosomes and have grown larger over the course of evolution. Although they are a prominent feature of animal ribosomes, their functions only just started to emerge. This study now shows that one particular expansion segment, called “31b”, is both necessary and sufficient to link ribosomes together during stress. At the molecular level, the expansion segment forms a precise RNA-RNA interaction – a so-called “kissing loop” – in which identical RNA loops bind each other through complementary sequences. Disrupting this interaction prevents disome formation, stunts cellular growth and makes cells more sensitive to stress.

Seeing ribosomes inside cells

A key strength of the study was the ability to visualize ribosomes directly inside intact cells using cryogenic electron tomography (Cryo-ET). Cryo-ET is a powerful 3D imaging technique that uses an electron microscope to see inside frozen biological samples (cells, organelles, molecules) with very high resolution. This approach allowed the team to visualize ribosomes in their native environment and resolve how they re-organize during stress.

The study combined an unusually broad range of techniques, including cell biology, biochemistry, yeast and mammalian cell genetic engineering, and high-resolution structural imaging. “One major challenge was manipulating ribosomal RNA, which is encoded by hundreds to thousands of nearly identical gene copies in animal genomes. We overcame this hurdle by engineering hybrid ribosomes in yeast and by introducing small RNA molecules that specifically disrupted ribosome pairing in animal cells”, says Mara Mueller, graduate student in the Schuman Lab and co-first author of the study.

A new view of translation control

„Our findings uncover a previously unknown mechanism by which animal cells regulate protein synthesis during stress – one that relies on RNA structure. The study reveals a new function for ribosomal RNA expansion segments which have been rather mysterious”, says Erin Schuman.

By temporarily storing ribosomes in inactive pairs, cells protect these costly machines and enable rapid recovery once favorable conditions return. The discovery opens new avenues for understanding how cells adapt to stress and how ribosome organization contributes to health and disease.

Figure: 3D model of two rat hippocampal ribosomes interacting in a hibernating dimer via an RNA expansion segment. A hippocampal slice is shown in the background.

(c) Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 3D models: Oliver Döll. Background enhanced (sharpened) with Gemini.

Publication

Andre Schwarz*, Mara Mueller*, Helene Will, Lea Dietrich, Stefano L. Giandomenico, Georgi Tushev, Ina Bartnik, Iskander Khusainov, Claudia M. Fusco, Erin M. Schuman. rRNA expansion segments mediate the oligomerization of inactive animal ribosomes. Science (2026) DOI: 10.1126/science.adr4287

The Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) and the Excellence Cluster SCALE – Subcellular Architecture of LifE invite applications for several Independent Research Group Leader positions in theoretical and computational life sciences.

SCALE aims to develop digital twins of subcellular architecture and advance our understanding of cellular organization and disease-related processes. We seek outstanding researchers ready to build an ambitious, internationally visible program in areas such as:

• Computational modeling of biological systems
• AI and machine learning for imaging, omics, and structural data
• Human–machine interfaces and LLM-based scientific tools
• Integrative structural and computational cell biology
• Digital twin concepts for life sciences

What We Offer

• Five-year group leader appointment with competitive salary
• Funding for two PhD positions and research expenses
• Optional co-affiliation with Goethe University Frankfurt
• Access to the interdisciplinary SCALE research environment on the Riedberg Campus

Candidate Profile

Applicants should hold a PhD and demonstrate strong quantitative expertise, collaborative research experience, and a vision that aligns with SCALE’s scientific goals.

Application

Submit via the online portal: CV, research statement (max. 4 pages), and an annotated list of your top five publications.
Application deadline: 18 January 2026.
Interviews will be held on 2 March 2026 during the Giersch International Conference & SCALE Kick-Off Symposium.

For more information visit here.

Application now

The neuroscientist is honored for her pioneering research revealing how local protein production shapes synaptic communication and brain function

Erin Margaret Schuman, Ph.D., Director and Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, has been elected as a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Schuman is recognized “for her work that provided the first evidence that proteins made locally near synapses can be used to enhance synaptic communication, a cellular correlate of memory.” Her pioneering research has created, expanded, and solidified the field of local translation, transforming our understanding of how neurons function and communicate.

The National Academy of Medicine elected 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting this year, bringing NAM’s total membership to more than 2,500, including over 200 international members.

Election to the NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. New members are elected by their peers through a rigorous selection process that highlights those who have made major contributions to medical sciences, health care, and public health.

About the National Academy of Medicine

Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Medicine works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective advice on issues critical to health, science, and policy. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding of STEMM. With their election, NAM members make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.

Press Contact: Dr. Irina Epstein

Photo credit: Marcus Gloger, Körber Stiftung

How Blood Vessels Influence Brain Development 

Blood vessels are more than just pathways for oxygen and nutrients; they also host communicative processes that guide brain development and sustain its function. These vascular-neuronal interfaces are at the core of new research led by Prof. Amparo Acker-Palmer, which will receive €1.25 million as a German Research Foundation (DFG) Koselleck Project.

Within blood vessels, specialized endothelial cells, which form the inner lining of all vessels, exchange signals with neurons and glial cells that decisively influence the formation of brain circuits and the development of brain architecture. Disruptions to this exchange can result in developmental disorders or neurodegeneration. In her newly approved, DFG-funded Koselleck Project, Prof. Amparo Acker-Palmer aims to explore the hidden functions of vascular-neuronal interfaces. Using cutting-edge imaging techniques, molecular profiling, and genetic models, she seeks to uncover where and how endothelial cells interact with neurons and other brain cells, as well as the principles by which these interactions shape brain connectivity and structure. A particular focus is on the cerebellum, which plays a key role in movement and certain cognitive processes, and on the role of blood vessels in brain folding, a process that diversifies and enhances brain functions. Defects in brain folding can lead to neurological disorders, including intellectual disabilities, epilepsy, and motor impairments.

“By bringing together vascular biology and neurosciences, we are opening a new chapter in neurovascular research. Understanding how blood vessels regulate brain development is crucial not only for fundamental biology but also for developing new therapeutic strategies to address diseases caused by disrupted communication between vessels and neurons,” says Professor Acker-Palmer, adding that the study has the potential to revolutionize neurovascular biology and unlock previously unknown therapies. Acker-Palmer holds the professorship for Molecular Neurobiology at Goethe University Frankfurt and is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on neurovascular communication. Her work has earned her several prestigious awards, including an ERC Advanced Grant.

Acker-Palmer’s lab is distinguished by its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, bringing together vascular biologists and neuroscientists to ensure seamless knowledge exchange, innovation, and discovery. According to the neurobiologist, this creates an ideal environment for tackling the ambitious project. The project aligns well with the overarching goals of the German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Koselleck Program, which aims to support visionary, high-risk research with the potential to open entirely new scientific fields.

The Reinhart Koselleck funding line, awarded since 2008, is named after Reinhart Koselleck (1923–2006), one of the most important German historians of the 20th century and a co-founder of modern social history. Reinhart Koselleck Projects are awarded to “researchers distinguished by outstanding scientific achievements.” The prerequisites for approval are particularly innovative research approaches and a certain degree of risk.

Image caption: 3D reconstruction of blood vessels in the cerebellum of a mouse, rendered using AI Machine Learning segmentation in IMARIS from specimens cleared with iDISCO+. (Marta Parrilla Monge and Jimena Redondo Nectalí, Acker-Palmer AG)

Further Information
Prof. Dr. Amparo Acker-Palmer Lab 

Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter, Science Communications, Office for PR and Communications, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de

We are proud to congratulate Prof. Dr. Eric Helfrich on his nomination for the prestigious Paul Ehrlich & Ludwig Darmstaedter Early Career Award 2026—Germany’s highest honor for early-career scientists in the life sciences.
This esteemed award recognizes exceptional independent research and supports innovative contributions to scientific advancement. Each year, the Paul Ehrlich Foundation honors a young, independent researcher working in Germany whose work demonstrates outstanding achievement in the life sciences.

Dr. Helfrich’s nomination highlights the significance of his pioneering research in natural product discovery. His work explores how bacteria produce diverse natural compounds with promising therapeutic potential, including applications in treating infections and cancer. By developing cutting-edge discovery workflows, Dr. Helfrich aims to identify novel bioactive molecules often missed by traditional screening approaches. Since October 2020, Dr. Helfrich was appointed Professor of Natural Products Genomics at Goethe University Frankfurt (Institute of Molecular Biosciences) and the LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE TBG).

Join us on September 15, 2025 from 1 PM in celebrating this well-deserved recognition!

Don’t miss Dr. Helfrich’s upcoming talk: ‘Illuminating Biosynthetic Dark Matter: Unlocking Hidden Pathways to Discover Natural Products with Therapeutic Promise’

Registration for the event: https://www.goethe-university-frankfurt.de/150458316/Early_Career_Award_Symposium

Learn more about Dr. Helfrich’s research: https://www.helfrichlab.com/

The neuroscientist is honoured for her discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories

The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) is awarding the 2026 HFSP Nakasone Award to Erin Schuman for her breakthrough related to the function and plasticity of neuronal synapses, their mRNA triggered function, and change during memory formation.

Schuman’s groundbreaking research revealed that proteins critical for neuron communication, plasticity and memory storage, are produced locally at synapses, the junctions between neurons. This insight overturns the previous belief that all proteins are made in the cell body and then shipped out to synapses where they function. “HFSPO is thrilled to honor Dr. Erin Schuman as her discovery is influencing the entire field of neuroscience where the focus is increasingly on individual synapses, rather than whole neurons,” said HFSPO Secretary-General Pavel Kabat. “This is the nature of the Nakasone Award: it is given to those pioneers who literally advance the frontiers of a whole discipline.”

About Erin Schuman

Schuman is the managing director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. She moved from her faculty position at the California Institute of Technology to join the Max Planck Society in 2009. A native of the United States of America, she is a member of EMBO, and the German and U.S. National Academies of Science as well the UK’s Royal Society. Her research has garnered numerous awards and acclaim, most recently the Brain Prize in 2023 and Körber European Science Prize in 2024. She is a co-opted Professor of Biology at Goethe University in Frankfurt and professor of Synaptic Function and Plasticity at the Donders Center for Neuroscience and the Faculty of Science of Radboud University in the Netherlands.

Schuman’s studies have also influenced domains outside of neurobiology. In order to study protein synthesis, one needs to identify and visualize the newly synthesized proteins within cells. Schuman and her colleagues invented methods that allow scientists to tag, identify, and visualize newly synthesized proteins in any cell, tissue, or organ. Thanks to her advances, new tools have been created and are being used across the life sciences to identify proteins that drive cellular changes under normal and altered states.

About the HFSP Nakasone Award

The HFSP Nakasone Award was established in 2010 to honor scientists who have made key breakthroughs in fields at the forefront of the life sciences. It recognizes the vision of Japan’s former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who envisioned and created the International Human Frontier Science Program beginning with a charter by the global leaders of the G7 nations in 1987.

Further Information

For details on Schuman’s discoveries, standing, and citations, please see HFSP full description of the 2026 Nakasone Award.

For more details, please see the Schuman Lab Website.

Press Contact

Dr. Irina Epstein

Press and Public Relations

Max Planck Institute for Brain Research

irina.epstein@brain.mpg.de

+49 69 850033-2900

Scientific Contact

Prof. Dr. Erin Schuman

Director

Max Planck Institute for Brain Research

erin.schuman@brain.mpg.de

+49 69 850033-1001

Photo credit: Marcus Gloger, Körber Stiftung