Events

Prof. Dr. Nina Hartrampf from the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland will give a talk on “New tools for flow-based peptide and protein synthesis” during the MBExC Lecture in cooperation with the OC Colloquium on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024 at 5:15 p.m. at the lecture hall IV MN 30 (seminar room E.1.101), Tammannstr. 4, Chemistry department.

Abstract
The protein MYC is an intrinsically disordered transcription factor that is upregulated in >50% of cancers and engages in numerous protein-protein interactions.[1] These interactions are often regulated through posttranslational modifications (PTMs) within MYC’s N-terminus (transactivation domain), most commonly (poly)phosphorylation. Studying these interactions on a molecular level requires proteins with unique and defined PTM patterns, which are challenging to obtain by recombinant methods.[2] Flow-based solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) could therefore be used to obtain long, uniquely modified MYC peptides to study PTM-dependent binding interactions on a molecular level.[3,4]
A challenge that arose during the chemical synthesis of MYC’s transactivation domain—that is often encountered in SPPS—was the aggregation of growing peptide chains (“difficult sequences”), which can lead to incomplete couplings. Previous research into this sequence-dependent phenomenon was limited by the lack of high-throughput analytical methods, thus impeding systematic analysis. While flow-based SPPS allows for aggregation detection, it has so far not led to the development of tools for its suppression.
To enable the synthesis of MYC’s transactivation domain, we developed a “Synthesis Tag” (SynTag) consisting of six arginines connected via a cleavable MeDbz linker.[5] SynTag effectively improves batch- and flow-SPPS of “difficult sequences”, enhances the solubility of the cleaved peptides and provides direct access to native sequences by hydrolysis, or peptide thioesters for Native Chemical Ligation (NCL). We demonstrate its utility in the first chemical synthesis of the MYC transactivation domain with a single NCL. We envisage SynTag to become a broadly applicable tool that enables the synthesis and study of previously unattainable peptides and proteins.

References:
[1] C. Lourenco, D. Resetca, C. Redel, P. Lin, A. S. MacDonald, R. Ciaccio, T. M. G. Kenney, Y. Wei, D. W. Andrews, M. Sunnerhagen, C. H. Arrowsmith, B. Raught, L. Z. Penn, Nat. Rev. Cancer 2021, 21, 579–591
[2] A. C. Conibear, Nat. Rev. Chem. 2020, 4, 674–695; T. Bilbrough, E. Piemontese, O. Seitz, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2022, 51, 5691–5730
[3] N. Hartrampf, A. Saebi, M. Poskus, Z. P. Gates, A. J. Callahan, A. E. Cowfer, S. Hanna, S. Antilla, C. K. Schissel, A. J. Quartararo, X. Ye, A. J. Mijalis, M. D. Simon, A. Loas, S. Liu, C. Jessen, T. E. Nielsen, B. L. Pentelute, Science 2020, 368, 980.
[3] E. T. Williams, K. Schiefelbein, M. Schuster, I. M. M. Ahmed, M. De Vries, R. Beveridge, O. Zerbe, N. Hartrampf, ChemRxiv 2024, DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-mfpkx.
[4] H. Bürgisser, E. T. Williams, R. Lescure, A. Premanand, A. Jeandin, N. Hartrampf, ChemRxiv 2023, DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-7mz2c.

 

Host: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Nadja A. Simeth-Crespi, University Göttingen

Please find the poster of the announcement here:

Chalk Talks – Göttinger Wissenschaftler*innen präsentieren ihre Forschung!

Lediglich mit Tafel und Kreide ausgestattet geben Göttinger Wissenschaftler*innen in entspannter Atmosphäre kurzweilige und spannende Einblick in ihre Fachgebiete.

Im Rahmen der Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” ist Prof. Dr. Bernd Wollnik vom Institut für Humangenetik an der Universitätsmedizin Göttingen am Freitag, den 24. Mai ab 16:30 Uhr im Forum Wissen zu Gast.
In seinen Arbeitsgruppen und der Schwerpunktprofessur „Molekulare Entwicklungsgenetik“ erforscht das Institut eine breite Palette an wissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen wie die Entschlüsselung molekularer Ursachen monogener Erkrankungen, die Mechanismen und Therapiestrategien von Tumorerkrankungen sowie wichtige biologische Prozesse wie die genomische (In-)Stabilität und ihre Rolle in altersassoziierten Erkrankungen.

Eine Anmeldung ist nicht erforderlich.

Weitere Informationen zur Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” finden Sie auf der Website des Forum Wissen.
 
Hier finden Sie die Übersicht aller Chalk Talks der 4. Staffel.

Chalk Talks – Göttinger Wissenschaftler*innen präsentieren ihre Forschung!

Lediglich mit Tafel und Kreide ausgestattet geben Göttinger Wissenschaftler*innen in entspannter Atmosphäre kurzweilige und spannende Einblick in ihre Fachgebiete.

Im Rahmen der Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” ist Prof. Dr. Niels Voigt vom Institut für Pharmakologie and Toxikologie am Herzzentrum Göttingen, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen am Freitag, den 31. Mai ab 16:30 Uhr im Forum Wissen zu Gast und berichtet über seine Forschung.

Eine Anmeldung ist nicht erforderlich.

Weitere Informationen zur Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” finden Sie auf der Website des Forum Wissen.
 
Hier finden Sie die Übersicht aller Chalk Talks der 4. Staffel.

Dr. Eva Kreysing from the University of Cambridge will give a talk on “The electrical maturation of neurons is regulated by tissue mechanics” during the MBExC Lecture on 5 June, 2024 at 4:15 pm at the small lecture hall, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3.

Abstract
During the development of the nervous system, neurons grow axons and dendrites to connect with other cells. As neurons become integrated into the neural network, they mature and develop electrical activity. While mechanical interactions between neurons and their environment are critical for axon growth and pathfinding, their role in the electrical maturation of neurons, and thus in the formation of circuits in the developing brain, remain poorly understood. Here, we cultured rat hippocampal neurons on substrates with different mechanical properties and found that electrical activity developed earlier on soft hydrogels compared to stiff hydrogels. This stiffness-dependent neuronal maturation was mediated by the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1. Using RNA sequencing, pathway analysis, CRIPSPR/Cas9-based gene knockdown and Western blots, we identified a downstream signalling cascade responsible for the differential expression of neurotransmitter receptors, which regulate neuronal maturation. Finally, we found that stiffening of the developing Xenopus laevis delayed circuit formation in vivo. Our findings highlight a critical role of mechanical signals in neuronal maturation and suggest that local brain tissue stiffness is a critical regulator of circuit formation in the developing brain.

Host: Prof. Dr. Fred Wolf, Goettingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, University of Göttingen & MPI-DS

Please find the poster of the announcement here:

Chalk Talks – Göttinger Wissenschaftler*innen präsentieren ihre Forschung!

Lediglich mit Tafel und Kreide ausgestattet geben Göttinger Wissenschaftler*innen in entspannter Atmosphäre kurzweilige und spannende Einblick in ihre Fachgebiete.

Im Rahmen der Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” ist Jun.-Prof. Dr. Nadja Simeth-Crespi vom Institut für Organische und Biomolekulare Chemie, Universität Göttingen am Freitag, den 7. Juni ab 16:30 Uhr im Forum Wissen zu Gast.

Eine Anmeldung ist nicht erforderlich.

Weitere Informationen zur Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” finden Sie auf der Website des Forum Wissen.
 
Hier finden Sie die Übersicht aller Chalk Talks der 4. Staffel.

The Hertha Sponer College Lecture Series is addressed to interested students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and PIs. The overall idea is to fundamentally explain research by providing an overview about the general aims of the six MBExC Research Alliances with special focus on the specific techniques that are developed and applied. The lectures take place on Tuesdays at 5 pm within the semester term, and are offered by MBExC PIs. Subsequent to lecture and discussion, Hertha Sponer College members have the opportunity to “Meet-the-PI” and each other for asking more specific or general questions, networking and socializing.

Dr. Mina Gouti from the Max-Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin will give a talk on “Building advanced neuromuscular models to study human development and disease” during the MBExC Lecture on 13 June, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at the lecture hall, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3.

Abstract
Locomotion results from the interaction between muscles and the nervous system. Dysfunction of such cells results in deadly diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Neuromuscular diseases often show regional selectivity but the underlying reasons remain obscure due to the lack of a suitable human model system. We have recently used human pluripotent stem cell derived axial stem cells, the building blocks of the posterior body, to simultaneously generate spinal cord neurons and skeletal muscle cells that self-organize in 3D to generate neuromuscular organoids (NMOs). NMOs contain functional neuromuscular junctions supported by terminal Schwann cells. They contract and develop central pattern generator-like neuronal circuits (Martins et al, Cell Stem Cell, 2020). We are currently applying NMOs to study the early development of the human neuromuscular system and to model neuromuscular diseases. This approach promises to uncover the sequence of events and provide greater insight into the mechanisms that lead to specific diseases by tackling previously inaccessible features of neuromuscular junction biology.

Host: Dr. Maria-Patapia Zafeiriou, University Medical Center Göttingen

Please find the poster of the announcement here:

Prof. Dr. Alexander Gottschalk from the Molecular Cell Biology and Neurobiochemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biophysical Chemistry will give a lecture during the MBExC Optogenetics Club

Chairs: Tobias Moser and Thomas Mager

Lego-Workshop mit dem Biophysiker Prof. Dr. Timo Betz!

Unsere aktuelle Sonderausstellung „Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen“ präsentiert modernste Mikroskopietechniken, mit denen Forschende in Zellen und Gewebe „hineinschauen“ können.
In diesem Workshop leiten die Biophysiker Prof. Dr. Timo Betz und Dr. Bart Vos Teilnehmende ab 10 Jahren an, selbst ein Mikroskop aus Legosteinen zu bauen und mit diesem kleinste Strukturen und Zusammenhänge zu entdecken. Die Teilnehmenden lernen die Technik hinter dem Mikroskopieren genauer kennen und können mit ihren eigenen Smartphones Fotos der Vergrößerungen spannender Präparate machen. Gemeinsam mit dem Biophysiker können Teilnehmende ein komplexes Mikroskop mit Legosteinen bauen und das Mikroskopieren von verschiedenen Präparaten erproben.
Die Veranstaltung richet sich an Jugendliche zwischen 10 –16 Jahren.

Der Workshop ist kostenfrei.
Bitte melden Sie sich bei unserem Infotresen Team an.

Tel.: +49 551 3926600

E-Mail: ed.nessiw-murof@ofni

Weitere Informationen zur Sonderausstellung “Herz & Hirn – gemeinsam verstehen” finden Sie auf der Website des Forum Wissen.

Host: Jörg Enderlein (U GOE), MBExC
Local organizer: Alexander Egner (IFNANO)

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Thomas Huser, Department of Physics, University of Bielefeld

Title: Enhanced contrast mechanisms for live cell structured illumination microscopy

Abstract:
Super-resolved structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM) is a widely used fluorescence microscopy technique capable of surpassing the optical diffraction limit, which employs rapid image acquisition, imaging at multiple color channels, and true 3D imaging capability. The basic optical physics behind structured illumination does, however, promise a much wider range of potential contrast mechanisms. We have recently developed a new generation of compact, cost-efficient and high-speed SR-SIM modalities based on a fiber-optic implementation that takes advantage of novel sCMOS cameras with up to 26 MegaPixel. This enabled us to obtain a significantly increased field-of-view of up to 280 µm x 280 µm with video-rate image acquisition, while still providing 100 nm spatial resolution. By combining this with a unique prism-based telescope, we can now also seamlessly transition from 2D/3D SIM to grazing incidence illumination and TIRF-SIM with different TIRF angles. This opens up a pathway to increased axial resolution. Furthermore, by combining this modality with a fast electrooptic gate, SIM with fluorescence lifetime imaging becomes possible. I will discuss novel applications of these enhanced contrast mechanisms in live cell imaging. In particular, I will demonstrate how we utilize this to provide new insights into the fast dynamics of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells during their scavenging activity.

Please find here the PDF of the announcement:

The Hertha Sponer College Lecture Series is addressed to interested students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and PIs. The overall idea is to fundamentally explain research by providing an overview about the general aims of the six MBExC Research Alliances with special focus on the specific techniques that are developed and applied. The lectures take place on Tuesdays at 5 pm within the semester term, and are offered by MBExC PIs. Subsequent to lecture and discussion, Hertha Sponer College members have the opportunity to “Meet-the-PI” and each other for asking more specific or general questions, networking and socializing.

The Hertha Sponer College Lecture Series is addressed to interested students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and PIs. The overall idea is to fundamentally explain research by providing an overview about the general aims of the six MBExC Research Alliances with special focus on the specific techniques that are developed and applied. The lectures take place on Tuesdays at 5 pm within the semester term, and are offered by MBExC PIs. Subsequent to lecture and discussion, Hertha Sponer College members have the opportunity to “Meet-the-PI” and each other for asking more specific or general questions, networking and socializing.

The Hertha Sponer College Lecture Series is addressed to interested students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and PIs. The overall idea is to fundamentally explain research by providing an overview about the general aims of the six MBExC Research Alliances with special focus on the specific techniques that are developed and applied. The lectures take place on Tuesdays at 5 pm within the semester term, and are offered by MBExC PIs. Subsequent to lecture and discussion, Hertha Sponer College members have the opportunity to “Meet-the-PI” and each other for asking more specific or general questions, networking and socializing.

Professor Dr. med. Katrin Amunts and Prof. Dr. Timo Dickscheid from the Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich will held a talk about “The Human Brain Atlas: concept, application and implementation” during the MBExC Lecture on 14 November, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

Host: Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt, University of Göttingen