Andreas Ladurner joins IMB’s Scientific Advisory Board

The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) is pleased to announce that Prof. Andreas Ladurner is joining its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Andreas is the Chair of Physiological Chemistry at Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) and founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Eisbach Bio GmbH, an oncology company. He is a leading expert in the field of chromatin regulation, with a particular focus on how post-translational modifications and cellular metabolites influence gene expression.

Prof. Ladurner’s lab investigates how cells regulate their genes through dynamic changes in chromatin structure—a process known as chromatin plasticity. This is important so that cells can adapt their genetic programme in response to environmental changes, such as stress or changing metabolic conditions. 

A major focus of his research is on how post-translational modifications (e.g. acetylation, ADP-ribosylation) and cellular metabolites influence gene activity and the remodelling of the chromatin structure. Key breakthroughs from his team include deciphering how ADP-ribosylation activates a chromatin remodeller that has been linked to cancer, and identifying the first cellular receptor for a glucose-derived metabolite in eukaryotes. This finding helps explain how dietary sugars promote fat synthesis and control insulin sensitivity, and could lead to the development of new cures for obesity and diabetes.

Prof. Ladurner’s expertise will be an invaluable contribution to IMB’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB meets every 18 months to review IMB’s achievements and provide advice on the institute’s strategic research directions and management, as well as its training programmes for junior scientists. We welcome Prof. Ladurner and look forward to receiving his advice and guidance.

_{Further details}

_{Further information can be found at www.med.lmu.de/bmc/de/forschung/forschungsgruppen/ladurner-lab} 

_{About the Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH} 

_{The Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB) is a centre of excellence in the life sciences that was established in 2011 on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Research at IMB focuses on the cutting-edge fields of epigenetics, genome stability, ageing and RNA biology. The institute is a prime example of successful collaboration between a private foundation and government: The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation has committed 154 million euros to be disbursed from 2009 until 2027 to cover the operating costs of research at IMB. The State of Rhineland-Palatinate has provided approximately 50 million euros for the construction of a state-of-the-art building and is giving a further 52 million in core funding from 2020 until 2027. For more information about IMB, please visit: www.imb.de.}

_{Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation}

_{The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that is committed to promoting 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 Boehringer Ingelheim company. Through its funding programmes Exploration Grants, Plus 3, and Rise up!, the Foundation supports excellent scientists during critical stages of their careers. It also endows the prestigious Heinrich Wieland Prize and awards for emerging scientists. Additionally, it funds institutional projects combining AI and biomedicine, such as the AITHYRA institute in Vienna and a new research unit at the Center for Systems Biology in Dresden (BioAI Dresden). Other supported institutions include the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, both in Germany.} 

_{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 (0) 6131 39 21455, Email: press(at)imb.de}