New research initiative investigates gene regulation in evolution and development

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has received EUR 900,000 for three years to investigate, jointly with the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), how gene regulation affects evolution and development.

The ambitious new research initiative GeneRED, or Gene Regulation in Evolution and Development, is jointly run by IMB and JGU's Faculty of Biology, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Continuing Education, and Culture of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Its overarching goal is to gain insight into how epigenetics, i.e., the regulation of genes by elements outside the classical DNA code, can influence the development of organisms, both in the short term (growth and aging) and the long term (evolutionary adaptation).

The initiative aims to significantly strengthen research into gene regulation on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. To achieve this, it will fund six PhD positions at JGU's Faculty of Biology over three years (2014-2016). The questions these students are studying are:

* How did division of labor evolve in social insects like ants, and which genes are involved?
* How does the NURF complex help maintain neural stem cell identity in fruit flies?
* What are the targets of the NG2 protein in glial cell development and tumors?
* How do ciliary proteins affect DNA damage response and gene regulation in Usher syndrome?
* What are the roles of genetic regulatory elements in the modern human adaptation to an agriculturalist diet and predisposition to metabolic syndrome?
* Which epigenetic factors are involved in creating body size memory in fruit flies?

The participating PhD students will be fully integrated into the International PhD Program on “Dynamics of Gene Regulation, Epigenetics and DNA Damage Response,” a joint program coordinated by IMB with groups from IMB, JGU, the Mainz University Medical Center, and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.

The initiative will also help expand access to modern proteomics technologies for scientists at JGU and IMB. With proteomics becoming a key methodology in modern biomedical research, the support provided through this initiative will be crucial in ensuring that research in Mainz is internationally competitive.

The chairs of the GeneRED project are Hans Zischler, Dean of the Faculty of Biology at JGU, and Christof Niehrs, Founding and Executive Director of IMB. The General Manager of GeneRED is Ralf Dahm, IMB's Director of Scientific Management.

About the Institute for Molecular Biology gGmbH
The Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB) is a center of excellence in the life sciences that was established in 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 EUR 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 EUR 50 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art building. For more information about IMB, please visit www.imb.de

About 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 (1931-1991), a member of the shareholder family of the company Boehringer Ingelheim. Through its PLUS 3 Perspectives Program and Exploration Grants, the foundation supports independent group leaders; it also endows the internationally renowned Heinrich Wieland Prize as well as awards for up-and-coming scientists. The foundation has granted EUR 100 million over a period of ten years to finance the scientific activities of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB).
For more information about the foundation and its programs, please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim-stiftung.de

Press contact for further information
Dr Ralf Dahm, Director of Scientific Management
Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB)
Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany
phone: +49 6131 39-21455
fax: +49 6131 39-21421
e-mail: press@imb.de

http://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/17179_ENG_HTML.php – press release ;
https://www.imb-mainz.de/research/initiatives/GeneRED/ – Gene Regulation in Evolution and Development (GeneRED)