idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
05/29/2012 13:20

Leading RNA biologist René Ketting joins the Institute of Molecular Biology as Scientific Director

Petra Giegerich Kommunikation und Presse
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

    Ketting will introduce C. elegans and the zebrafish as model systems at IMB to study mechanisms controlling development and disease

    The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) appoints Professor René Ketting as its second Scientific Director. Ketting is a leading molecular biologist who will be focusing on the biology of non-coding RNAs. He will introduce C. elegans and the zebrafish as model systems at IMB to study mechanisms controlling development and disease.

    For decades, RNAs have only been seen as intermediates in the production of proteins. However, the discovery of new classes of RNA which control the activity of genes has dramatically changed our view of these molecules. Professor René Ketting is one of the pioneers of this exciting, emerging area. His research focuses on so-called non-coding RNA (ncRNA), which he, with others, has shown to play a key role in embryonic development. Furthermore, errors in the control of gene activity by ncRNAs contribute to major diseases, such as cancer and heart failure.

    Specifically, Ketting investigates three central aspects of ncRNA biology: (i) how certain ncRNAs are able to silence the expression of specific genes, (ii) how ncRNAs regulate the activity of genes by triggering changes to chromatin, i.e., the way the DNA is packaged, and (iii) how they act to stop transposons, short pieces of DNA that can jump within the genome, from moving. The movement of transposons has a major impact on the stability of our genetic material. Understanding how ncRNAs prevent such movement therefore provides important insights into how our genomes are maintained in a healthy state.

    IMB's Founding Director, Professor Christof Niehrs, is enthusiastic about René Ketting joining IMB: "René's research perfectly complements the work already carried out at IMB. His recruitment significantly bolsters the IMB's expertise and international visibility in the field of RNA biology and will lead to many exciting collaborations." In addition to becoming a Director at IMB, Ketting has also been appointed as Professor within the Faculty of Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). "We are very glad to have succeeded in recruiting Professor René Ketting. His appointment brings an internationally renowned scientist to Mainz and further strengthens biological research at Mainz University," states Professor Georg Krausch, President of JGU.

    René Ketting is currently Professor of Epigenetics at the Hubrecht Institute in the Netherlands. He has been an EMBO Young Investigator since 2007 and is holder of a prestigious European Research Council Starting Grant. Ketting will be taking up his appointment at IMB in September 2012.

    "Professor Ketting's appointment marks another important step in establishing IMB as an international beacon of research in the life sciences. We are very happy that IMB could attract a scientist of such caliber from abroad and are confident that the search for a further scientific director will be equally successful", says Otto Boehringer, chairman of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. To mark the 125th anniversary of the company Boehringer Ingelheim in 2010, the foundation pledged itself to donate €100 million for the scientific running of IMB.



    The Institute for Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB)
    The Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB) is a new center of excellence in the life sciences. It was established in March 2011. Research at IMB concentrates on three cutting-edge areas: epigenetics, developmental biology, and DNA repair. The institute is a prime example of a successful collaboration between public authorities and a private foundation. The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation has dedicated €100 million for a period of 10 years to cover the operating costs for research at IMB, while the state of Rhineland-Palatinate provided approximately €50 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art building

    The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation
    The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization committed to the promotion of the medical, biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical sciences. It was established in 1977 by Hubertus Liebrecht, a member of the shareholder family of the company Boehringer Ingelheim.


    Images

    Institute of Molecular Biology
    Institute of Molecular Biology
    (IMB)
    None


    Criteria of this press release:
    Journalists, Scientists and scholars, all interested persons
    Biology, Medicine
    transregional, national
    Organisational matters, Personnel announcements
    English


     

    Institute of Molecular Biology


    For download

    x

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).