Detailed molecular assembly with various dark colors, resembling a cylindrical tube with intricate patterns.

Martin Beck – Molecular Sociology

How do molecular modules act in concert to generate complex cellular functions?

Microscopic cell components with a detailed structure diagram.

Translation dynamics in human cells visualized at high resolution reveal cancer drug action

Xing, H., Taniguchi, R., Khusainov, I., Kreysing, J.P., et al. Science (2023)

Diagram shows the process of protein synthesis involving Ssb1 binding and nucleotide exchange with importin.

Co-translational binding of importins to nascent proteins

Seidel, M., Romanov, N., Obarska-Kosinska, A., et al. Nature (2023)

Complex arrangement of colorful molecular structures forming a circular shape against a black background.

AI-based structure prediction empowers integrative structural analysis of human nuclear pores

Mosalaganti, S., Obarska-Kosinska, A., et al. Science (2022)

Colorful molecular structure with differnt angles on black background.

Nuclear pores dilate and constrict in cellulo

Zimmerli, C. E., Allegretti, M., et al. (Science 2021)

Scientific illustration of a protein complex, featuring a central cone-shaped core surrounded by layered rings in varying colors.

Cone-shaped HIV-1 capsids are transported through intact nuclear pores

Zila, Margiotta, et al. Cell (2021)

Electron micrograph of four circular structures with a detailed molecular model on the right.

In situ structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike reveals flexibility mediated by three hinges

Turoňová, Sikora, Schürrmann, et al. Science (2020)

Scientific diagram detailing the stages of autophagy related to nuclear pore complexes, showing interactions between Nup159 and cellular components like Atg8 and ribosomes.

In cell architecture of the nuclear pore complex and snapshots of its turnover

Allegretti, Zimmerli, et al. Nature (2020)

Visualization of continuous, bidirectional, and dose-symmetric tilt methods with protein models below.

Benchmarking tomographic acquisition schemes for high-resolution structural biology

Turoňová et al., Nature Communications (2020)

Two microscopic views: cell structures on the left, oocyte labeled on the right.

Nuclear Pores Assemble from Nucleoporin Condensates During Oogenesis

Bernhard Hampoelz, Andre Schwarz et al. Cell (2019)

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Detailed molecular structure showing inner and outer Y-complexes, color-coded sections, and scale bar.

In situ structural analysis of the human nuclear pore complex

von Appen et al. Nature (2015)

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Diagram depicting the influence of diet and genetic sex on protein complexes, highlighting stable and variable components in datasets.

Disentangling Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Proteotypes of Individuals

Romanov et al. Cell (2019)

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Illustration showing HeLa cell cycle phases (G1, S, G2, M) and thermal proteome profiling with temperatures ranging from 37°C to 66.3°C.

Pervasive Protein Thermal Stability Variation during the Cell Cycle

Becher, Andres-Pons, Romanov, Stein, et al. Cell (2018)

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Molecular architecture of the inner ring scaffold of the human nuclear pore complex

Kosinski, Mosalaganti, von Appen, et al. Science (2016)

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In situ architecture of the algal nuclear pore complex

Mosalaganti, Kosinski, Albert, Schaffer, et al. Nature Communications (2018)

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Pre-Assembled Nuclear Pores Insert into the Nuclear Envelope during Early Development

Hampoelz et al. Cell (2016)

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Detailed blueprint of nuclear pore complex, featuring 3D models, on a wooden desk.

Integrated structural analysis of the human nuclear pore complex scaffold

Bui, von Appen, et al. Cell (2013)

Research Interests

Functional cellular modules have often been characterised in vitro. However, relatively little is known about their interplay and spatio-temporal arrangement in the context of living cells, i.e. their 'molecular sociology'. We use integrative, in situ structural biology techniques to study the structure, function and assembly of very large macromolecular complexes in their native environment. We rely on a diverse methodological repertoire, including cryo-EM, structural proteomics, biochemistry, imaging, animal model systems and computational modeling (Robinson et al, Nature 2007; Beck and Baumeister, TiCB 2016).

Projects

Nuclear Pore Complexes

Drosophila Development

Integrative Structural Biology

Structural Proteomics

Image Processing

Martin Beck about his early career

Martin Beck (Group Leader, EMBL Heidelberg, 2010—2020) speaks with Angus Lamond (EMBL Group Leader, 1987—1995) about his contributions to the resolution revolution at EMBL and his thoughts on the importance of computational power in modern research.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_diaokUf24

Selected Publications (Google Scholar Link)

Kreysing, J. P.; Heidari, M.; Zila, V.; Cruz-León, S.; Obarska-Kosinska, A.; Laketa, V.; Rohleder, L.; Welsch, S.; Köfinger, J.; Turoňová, B. et al.; Hummer, G.; Kräusslich, H.-G.; Beck, M.: Passage of the HIV capsid cracks the nuclear pore. Cell 188 (4), pp. 930 - 943.e21 (2025)

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Taniguchi, R.; Orniacki, C.; Kreysing, J. P.; Zila, V.; Zimmerli, C. E.; Böhm, S.; Turoňová, B.; Kräusslich, H.-G.; Doye, V.; Beck, M.: Nuclear pores safeguard the integrity of the nuclear envelope. Nature Cell Biology 27 (5), pp. 762 - 775 (2025)

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Xing, H.; Rosenkranz, R. R. E.; Rodriguez-Aliaga, P.; Lee, T.-T.; Majtner, T.; Böhm, S.; Turoňová, B.; Frydman, J.; Beck, M.: In situ analysis reveals the TRiC duty cycle and PDCD5 as an open-state cofactor. Nature 637 (8047), pp. 983 - 990 (2025)

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Xing, H.; Taniguchi, R.; Khusainov, I.; Kreysing, J. P.; Welsch, S.; Turoňová, B.; Beck, M.: Translation dynamics in human cells visualized at high resolution reveal cancer drug action. Science 381 (6653), pp. 70 - 75 (2023)

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Mosalaganti, S.; Obarska-Kosinska, A.; Siggel, M.; Taniguchi, R.; Turoňová, B.; Zimmerli, C. E.; Buczak, K.; Schmidt, F. H.; Margiotta, E.; Mackmull, M.-T. et al.

AI-based structure prediction empowers integrative structural analysis of human nuclear pores.

Science. 2022 June; 376 (6598), doi: 10.1126/science.abm9506.

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Zimmerli C. E., Allegretti M., Rantos V., Goetz S. K., Obarska-Kosinska A., Zagoriy I., Halavatyi A., Hummer G., Mahamid J., Kosinski J., Beck M.

Nuclear pores dilate and constrict in cellulo.

Science. 2021 Nov; 374 (6573). doi: 10.1126/science.abd9776.

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Zila, V., Margiotta, E., Turoňová, B., Müller, T.G., Zimmerli, C.E., Mattei, S., Allegretti, M., Börner, K., Rada, J., Müller, B., Lusic, M., Kräusslich, H.G., Beck, M.

Cone-shaped HIV-1 capsids are transported through intact nuclear pores.

Cell. 2021 Feb; 184, 1-15. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.025.

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Allegretti M., Zimmerli C. E., Rantos V., Wilfling F., Ronchi P., Fung H.K.H., Lee CW., Hagen W., Turonova B., Karius K., Börmel M., Zhang X., Müller C.W., Schwab Y., Mahamid J., Pfander B., Kosinski J., Beck M.

In-cell architecture of the nuclear pore complex and snapshots of its turnover.

Nature. 2020 Sept; 586, 796-800. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2670-5.

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Turoňová B, Sikora M, Schürmann C, Hagen WJH, Welsch S, Blanc FEC, von Bülow S, Gecht M, Bagola K, Hörner C, v Zandbergen G, Landry J, Doimo de Azevedo NT, Mosalaganti S, Schwarz A, Covino R, Mühlebach MD, Hummer G, Krijnse Locker J, Beck M.

In situ structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike reveals flexibility mediated by three hinges.

Science. 2020 Oct; 370, 203-208. doi: 10.1126/science.abd5223.

DOI

Hampoelz, B.; Schwarz, A.; Ronchi, P.; Bragulat-Teixidor, H.; Tischer, C.; Gaspar, I.; Ephrussi, A.; Schwab, Y.; Beck, M.: Nuclear Pores Assemble from Nucleoporin Condensates During Oogenesis. Cell 179 (3), pp. 671 - 686.e17 (2019)

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Hampoelz B., Mackmull M.T., Machado P., Ronchi P., Bui K.H., Schieber N., Santarella-Mellwig R., Necakov A., Andres-Pons A., Philippe J.M., Lecuit T., Schwab Y., Beck M.

Pre-assembled Nuclear Pores Insert into the Nuclear Envelope during Early Development.

Cell. 2016 Jul; 166(3):664-678. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.06.015.

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Ori A., Iskar M., Buczak K., Kastritis P., Parca L., Andres-Pons A., Singer S., Bork P., Beck M.

Spatiotemporal variation of mammalian protein complex stoichiometries.

Genome Biol. 2016 Mar 14;17:47. doi: 10.1186/s13059-016-0912-5.

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Kosinski J., Mosalaganti S., von Appen A., Teimer R., DiGuilio A.L., Wan W., Bui K.H., Hagen W.J,, Briggs J.A., Glavy J.S., Hurt E., Beck M.

Molecular architecture of the inner ring scaffold of the human nuclear pore complex.

Science. 2016 Apr 15;352(6283):363-5. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf0643.

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von Appen A., Kosinski J., Sparks L., Ori A., DiGuilio A.L., Vollmer B., Mackmull M.T., Banterle N., Parca L., Kastritis P., Buczak K., Mosalaganti S., Hagen W., Andres-Pons A., Lemke E.A., Bork P., Antonin W., Glavy J.S., Bui K.H., Beck M.

In situ structural analysis of the human nuclear pore complex.

Nature. 2015 Oct 1;526(7571):140-143. doi: 10.1038/nature15381.

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Bui K.H., von Appen A., DiGuilio A.L., Ori A., Sparks L., Mackmull M.T., Bock T., Hagen W., Andres-Pons A., Glavy J.S., Beck M.

Integrated structural analysis of the human nuclear pore complex scaffold.

Cell. 2013 Dec 5;155(6):1233-43. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.10.055.

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