Series Bio(R)evolution Short Talks and Discussion: Protein Quality Control Meets Developmental Biology
Press Release No. 131/2024
15 November 2024
Nora Vögtle and Lazaro Centanin speak in the series “Bio(R)evolution – New Faces, New Ideas, New Horizons”
Protein quality control meets developmental biology: in a joint event, Prof. Dr Nora Vögtle and Prof. Dr Lazaro Centanin are talking about their current research and inviting the academic specialist community and an interested non-university public to discuss possible societal impacts of their work. The two short talks followed by a facilitated panel discussion are part of the series “Bio(R)evolution – New Faces, New Ideas, New Horizons”. With this series, the Faculty of Biosciences of Heidelberg University wants to give its newly appointed professors a platform to present their visionary research questions and, at the same time, highlight the relevance of Ruperto Carola’s basic research for coping with major social challenges. The event takes place on 18 November 2024.
Nora Vögtle was appointed professor of molecular biology at Ruperto Carola in 2021. At the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University, Prof. Vögtle works on processes related to protein quality control. This is a cellular protective mechanism that is of fundamental significance for the cell’s survival. The studies by her research group “Mitochondrial proteostasis and protein quality control” focus on mitochondria. These power stations of the cells, which are also important in the case of certain metabolic pathways and programmed cell death, have to build up a complex proteome from over 1,000 different proteins to be able to fulfill their various functions.
Lazaro Centanin has done research since 2023 as professor of molecular organismal biology at the Centre for Organismal Studies at Heidelberg University, having already served as a junior professor there. His research concentrates on the stem cells of fish. Unlike with mammals, whose adult organisms grow to a certain size, the organismal size of fish is not fixed. With his developmental biology research group “Clonal analysis of post-embryonic stem cells”, Prof. Centanin wants to find out which of these cells maintain continuing growth and how they coordinate their function in different tissues in order to do so.
The event “Protein quality control meets developmental biology” in the series “Bio(R)evolution – New Faces, New Ideas, New Horizons” features the talks by Prof. Vögtle and Prof. Centanin, which will each take 20 to 25 minutes. They will be followed by a facilitated panel discussion exploring the societal impact of their research, particularly in medical and therapeutic applications. The public event on 18 November will take place in the Bertalanffy lecture hall of the Centre for Organismal Studies, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, starting at 6 pm. Afterwards there will be an opportunity for informal exchange.