Welcome to the Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences

The Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS) was founded in 2009 as part of the Cluster of Excellence Macromolecular Complexes. Research at the BMLS aims at understanding macromolecular complexes, in particular the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular functions. BMLS is composed of eleven scientific groups from various disciplines including biology, biophysics and chemistry.

The cornerstones of BMLS's mission are to perform basic research, to train scientists, students and visitors at all levels and to develop new methods in the life sciences.

NEWS

7th February 2012 – Sponsorship of FMLS by Josef Buchmann sealed. The Frankfurt businessman and patron Josef Buchmann is supporting the FMLS with a substantial donation. As a sign of gratitude and to underscore the important role of Josef Buchmann and his wife Bareket in supporting research at the Goethe University, the FMLS will henceforth be named Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences. Link to German press release.


February 2011 - Lígia Gomes receives a long-term FEBS fellowship and
 commences her work within the Dikic/Dötsch group at the FMLS. Her project is
focused on the regulation of selective autophagy. FEBS is funding her
position for one year, with the option of renewal to up to 3 years.


January 2012 -  Volker Dötsch receives € 1M for Reinhart Kosseleck Project: The FMLS Vice Director and Professor at the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry of the Goethe University Frankfurt has been granted € 1 M by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for a project building on his previously published results on genetic quality control in oocytes. Read more about this research area. Link to German Press Release.

January 2012 - Martin Grininger joins the FMLS: Following his successful application for a Lichtenberg Professorship of the Volkswagen Foundation, Martin Grininger has moved from the MPI of Biochemistry in Munich to establish his new group at the FMLS. His research is focussed on Megasynthases. These protein complexes produce bioactive natural products in various microorganisms, which are often applied as antibiotics. Martin Grininger aims to copy the natural pathways for the synthesis of new pharmaceutical drugs.

December 2011 - Award-winning video: PhD student Daniel von Wangenheim from the Stelzer Group wins the 2nd prize in the 2011 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition. His video shows a Arabidopsis thaliana lateral root growing out of the primary root. A stack of 233 images was recorded every 15 minutes over a period of 75 hours using light-sheet based fluorescence microscopy (mDSLM). Link to Video.

 

16th December 2011 - Opening Ceremony for the FMLS, Biologicum and Otto-Stern-Zentrum on Riedberg campus - link to livestream, to German press release, and to the scientific symposium which took place in the morning to mark the day.

 

1st December 2011 - New group leader recruited: Dr Christian Pohl has moved from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York/USA to join the FMLS. His research is focussed on embryonal development in the worm C. elegans, aiming at understanding the molecular mechanisms of head morphogenesis. With the recruitment of Dr Pohl, research into developmental cell biology is substantially strengthened at the FMLS.


November 2011 - Simin Rahighi receives an EMBO longterm postdoctoral fellowship; EMBO will fund her work for the next two years. Her proposal is focused on understanding the role of linear ubiquitylation in regulation of apoptotic cell death.

20th October 2011 - Volker Dötsch elected to EMBO membership: The FMLS Vice Director and Professor at the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry of the Goethe University Frankfurt has been elected by EMBO as one of 46 new members from 14 countries. By awarding life-long membership, EMBO acknowledges the outstanding scientific contribution of Volker Dötsch and his commitment to research excellence. Read more.

 

August 2011 - Completion of  FMLS building: After only two years of construction time, the new FMLS building has now been finished. Seven groups from a wide range of disciplines have moved in already, creating a vibrant scientific atmosphere. The building offers excellent conditions for cutting edge research in Life Sciences, bridging the gaps between Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. It houses a first-class Electron Microscopy Facility, a dedicated Crystal Facility, and the Frankfurt Centre for Advanced Light Microscopy (FCAM). Link to webcam.

30th June 2011 – Chaperone system resolved: Newly synthesized proteins are fragile and could never reach their proper functional state and their correct destination without the protection of chaperones. As reported in the latest online issue of Science, FMLS deputy director Volker Dötsch was now involved in solving the molecular mechanisms of one such system. Read more.

26th May 2011 – New defense mechanism against Salmonella elucidated: After infection with Salmonella, epithelial cells can get rid of the unwanted invader by a process called autophagy. In today’s issue of the journal Science, an international group of scientists around FMLS director Ivan Dikic describes how selectivity is achieved in this process. Read more.

 

6th April 2011 - The world’s smallest wedding rings: FMLS scientist Alexander Heckel and his PhD student Thorsten Schmidt succeed in creating two interlocking rings of DNA only 18 nanometers in size. Such a structure is called a catenan, and it sets a milestone in the field of DNA nanotechnology. Read more.

1st April 2011 - New group leader recruited: Dr Martin Vabulas from the MPI of Biochemistry in Martinsried will join the FMLS in April 2011. Martin Vabulas is an expert in proteasome function and protein quality control mechanisms. His group aims at identifying molecular events which lead to the collapse of the protein network in diseases like Alzheimer's and during aging.

31st March 2011 - A step towards understanding chronic dermatitis: An international team of scientists led by FMLS director Ivan Dikic discovered a novel role for the protein SHARPIN in immune signalling. In today’s issue of Nature, they show how SHARPIN stimulates formation of linearized ubiquitin chains, triggering activation of a central regulator of immune responses. Read more.

21st March 2011 - Japan Tsunami Appeal: The FMLS & CEF Offices are collecting donations for the Japanese Red Cross Society until the end of March. If you wish to participate in this effort, please visit the office or use the following links to find information of how to donate directly to the Japanese Red Cross or to the German Red Cross.

18th February 2011 - Fatal quality control in oocytes: Maintaining genomic stability in the female germline is extremely important for all species. Together with others, the group of FMLS scientist Volker Dötsch has now revealed how the activity of quality control factor p63 is regulated in oocytes. Upon DNA damage, conformation of the protein changes to an active tetramer, initiating death of damaged oocytes. Their results are published today in the journal Cell. Read more.

16th January 2011 - Directing worms with light: FMLS scientist Alexander Gottschalk has shown for the first time how the movement of an animal can be reliably and precisely directed through light impulses. The new technology was published online today in Nature Methods. Read more or watch video.

24th November 2010   One ubiquitin, 1000s of partners: Ubiquitin signals and ubiquitin-binding domains are implicated in almost every cellular process. But how is this wide spectrum of functionality achieved? How does ubiquitin find the correct target? Ivan Dikic and colleagues reviewed technological advances in monitoring the dynamics and specificity of ubiquitin networks in the journal Cell. Read more or listen to interview with Prof Ivan Dikic.

Frankfurt researcher is admitted to the German Academy of Sciences. Ivan Dikic, Scientific Director of the CEF-funded FMLS, is elected a member of the Leopoldina read more

Find more in the news archive.

Forthcoming Events