Biophysicist honored for her pioneering work on mitochondrial membrane dynamics and cell death
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded the prestigious 2024 ERC Advanced Grant to Ana García-Sáez, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, Germany. She receives the grant for her cutting-edge project investigating the dynamic architecture and molecular organization of mitochondrial membranes.
García-Sáez’s research focuses on understanding how membranes behave and change during apoptosis and other forms of regulated cell death. Her team uses advanced imaging techniques—including super-resolution microscopy and single-molecule imaging—to reveal how mitochondrial membranes are shaped by molecular players and mechanical forces. This multidisciplinary approach, combining biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology, and software development, is providing new insights into how mitochondria regulate cell fate.
About Ana García-Sáez
Since 2023, García-Sáez has led the Department of Membrane Dynamics at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics. Her lab develops novel microscopy tools and quantitative methods to explore mitochondrial permeabilization and structural transformations during apoptosis.
A highly accomplished researcher, this marks her third ERC grant. She previously received the ERC Starting Grantfor early-career investigators and the ERC Consolidator Grant for group leaders establishing independent research programs. Her selection for the 2024 Advanced Grant, awarded to only 281 researchers from over 2,500 proposals, places her among Europe’s most innovative scientists.
Her work not only deepens our understanding of mitochondrial biology, but also provides tools and frameworks that are now applied across life sciences to study how membrane dynamics contribute to essential cellular processes.
About the ERC Advanced Grants
Established in 2007 by the European Union, the European Research Council (ERC) funds world-class research through highly competitive grants. The ERC Advanced Grant supports established investigators pursuing ambitious, high-risk projects with the potential to make a major impact.
Further Information
For more on the Department of Membrane Dynamics, visit the https://www.biophys.mpg.de/membrane-dynamics and https://www.biophys.mpg.de/2872321/garcia-saez-awarded-erc-grant.
For additional context, see https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/erc-2024-advanced-grants-results.
