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Latest top papers from our institute

New findings on SARS-CoV-2 protein shed light on virus’ ability to infect cells.

Beata Turoňová et al. In situ structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike reveals flexibility mediated by three hinges. Science, 18 August 2020

Rotary substates of mitochondrial ATP synthase reveal the basis of flexible F1-Fo coupling.

Murphy, B.J., et al. Science 364, eaaw9128.

Structure and assembly of the mitochondrial membrane remodeling GTPase Mgm1.

Faelber, K, et al. (2019). Nature 571, 429-433.

Benchmarking tomographic acquisition schemes for high-resolution structural biology

Turoňová, B., et al. (2020). Nature Communications 11, 876

Nuclear Pores Assemble from Nucleoporin Condensates During Oogenesis.

Hampoelz, B., et al. (2019). Cell 179(3):671-686

Curvature induction and membrane remodeling by FAM134B reticulon homology domain assist selective ER-phagy.

Bhaskara, R.M., et al. (2019). Nature Communications 10, 2370

Dynamic cluster formation determines viscosity and diffusion in dense protein solutions.

von Bülow, S., et al. (2019). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 116, 9843-52

Molybdate pumping into the molybdenum storage protein via an ATP-powered piercing mechanism.

Brünle, S., et al. (2019). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 116, 26497-26504 (2019).

Press Releases

Structure of serotonin receptor in presence of lipids resolved

February 23, 2021

Once again, a step has been taken towards clarifying the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin, often referred to as the "happiness hormone", to one of its receptors, 5-HT3AR. An international team of researchers has succeeded now in elucidating ...

New piece of the HIV infection puzzle solved: virus capsid reaches the cell nucleus intactly

February 10, 2021

For the first time, scientists at the Center for Integrative Infectious Diseases Research at the University Hospital Heidelberg, the Heidelberg European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt have ...

Understanding the structure of the virus

January 30, 2021

Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists worldwide have been working intensely to precisely characterise the novel SARS-CoV2 virus. Only by understanding in detail how the virus is constructed and how it replicates can targets for effective ...

Scientific highlights 2020

December 21, 2020

Study unravels details of autophagy machinery assembly

September 07, 2020

Researchers from the University of Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne and the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt am Main succeeded in the reconstitution of the autophagosome nucleation using recombinant ...

Nuclear pores in their natural context

September 02, 2020

Scientists from the Max Planck Institutes of Biophysics and Biochemistry and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, led by Boris Pfander, Jan Kosinski und Martin Beck have studied the 3D structure of nuclear pores in budding yeast (Saccharomyces ...

Flexible and protected – New findings on SARS-CoV-2 protein shed light on virus’ ability to infect cells.

August 18, 2020

In the fight against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 researchers from various research institutions in Germany joined forces to study the spike protein on the surface of the virus – this protein allows the virus to bind to and to infect human cells. The ...

COVID-19 research: Anti-viral strategy with double effect

July 29, 2020

When the SARS-CoV-2 virus penetrates human cells, it lets the human host cell produce proteins for it. One of these viral proteins, called PLpro, is essential for the replication and rapid spread of the virus. An international team of researchers led ...