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› News
Evolution with a restricted number of genes:
Publication of new insights into the role of the enzyme RNA polymerase II in Science magazine. More...
Glue inside the cell: Ubiquitin builds up an immune response
Ubiquitin is a small protein, which can be attached to other cellular proteins. A study headed by the Junior Group of Dr. Daniel Krappmann (GSF) in collaboration with Dr. Jürgen Ruland (TU Munich) and Dr. Claus Scheidereit ( Max-Delbrück-Center , Berlin ) now reports a novel finding about ubiquitination as a key event for the activation of an immune response. More...
Heaps of climate gas - Pasturing cows convert soil to a source of methane
The cow as a killer of the climate: This inglorious role is well-enough recognised. Now, a team of German scientists from the Institute of Soil Ecology of the GSF – National Research Center for Environment and Health and Czech colleagues at the Budweis Academy of Science have been able to show that bovine animals can also boost the production of this climate gas in soil. More...
Bacteria Reveal Targets of Immune Responses Quick and Direct Identification of Antigens
EBV-positive tumours can be treated by the infusion of immune cells (T cells) that are specific for components of the virus (antigens). An elegant and quick method developed by a Clinical Cooperation Group of the GSF – Research Center for Environment and Health and the Children’s Hospital of the University of Technology, Munich (TUM), helps to identify such targets of attack. More...
Evidence of a relationship between swimming babies and infections
Scientists of the GSF – National Research Center for Environment and Health found indications for an association between attendance of swimming pools in the first year of life and the frequency of infections. Diarrhoea and otitis media during the first year of life are especially noteworthy. No increased risks were found for atopic diseases during the first six years. More...
Annual Report 2006 now online
In 2006, the GSF concentrated on sharpening its profile, making ist objectives clearer and redefining its vision.
The GSF contributes to the foundation of Future Medicine and Health Care an explores environmental infl uences on human health. The focus of our scientific work is the question of how genetic predisposition, the biological system and
environmental factors interact. More...
Insights in the major wheat fungal plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum: Fusarium graminearum is one of the most significant plant pathogens worldwide. Structural gene annotation at the Institute for Bioinformatics reveals ~14,000 genes in the 36 Mb genome. By comparison with a second partially sequenced strain, distinct regions of high diversity were found in subtelomeric regions of several hundred Kb and in addition in central regions of the 4 chromosomes. More...
Prions and retroviruses – an unholy alliance? In work originating from the Bavarian Research Cooperation Prions (FORPRION), which ended in 2007, a team led by the scientist Prof. Dr. Christine Leib-Mösch has been able to show that prion proteins may activate endogenous retroviruses in infected brain cells. In the Institute of Molecular Virology the group is continuing to search for cellular components whose make-up is changed as a result of a prion infection. More...
Top scientist from Harvard appointed new director of the GSF Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging: Prof. Dr. Vasilis Ntziachristos has been appointed as the new director of the Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging. Ntziachristos carried out research for many years in the United States of America, most recently as an Assistant Professor at Harvard University, before recently accepting the position of Professor and Chair of Biological Imaging at the Technical University of Munich. More...
If air gets scarce – new gene causes asthma in children
Usually harmless external stimuli like animal hair, pollen and house dust cause a life-endangering narrowing of the bronchi in asthma patients. An international team of scientists headed by researchers from the Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, and Oxford University, UK, have now been able to identify a gene that clearly increases the risk for asthma in childhood. More...
Milestone in the regeneration of brain cells: Supportive cells generate new nerve cells
The research group of Prof. Dr. Magdalena Götz at the GSF and the LMU Munich, has achieved an additional step for the potential replacement of damaged brain cells after injury or disease: functional nerve cells can be generated from astroglia, a type of supportive cells in the brain by means of special regulator proteins. More...
Research team enlightens the reasons for severe blindness:
Coordinated by the geneticist Ronald Roepman from Nijemegen, an important step has now been made in this direction by an international research team with the participation of the GSF - National Research Center for Environment and Health: they identified a further gene for the inherited retinal disease Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) and discovered first evidences how it functions. More...
Co-operation between GSF and clinic improves outlook for sarcoma patients
Regional hyperthermia, combined with chemotherapy, improves the chances of local control and survival of patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas. At the Annual General Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology the GSF scientist and clinician, Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Biochem. Rolf D. Issels, presented the results of the first, randomised phase III study. More...
› About us: Research for the Health of Man and the Environment
The GSF is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. The partners of the GSF are the Federal Republic of Germany represented by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the level of 90 percent, and the State of Bavaria to the level of 10 percent (total budget 2006: 156,8 Mio. Euro).
