IMB welcomes Laura Lorenzo-Orts as a new Group Leader

The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) is pleased to announce that Dr Laura Lorenzo-Orts is joining us as a new Group Leader. Laura previously worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, Austria. She will establish a new lab at IMB to investigate how mRNA translation is activated in the early embryo.

For all sexually reproducing species, life begins at fertilisation, when the oocyte transitions into an embryo and activates its gene expression programme to initiate development. To support this critical step, oocytes are equipped with a stockpile of ready-to-go mRNAs, inherited from the mother. These maternal mRNAs regulate protein production and guide early development before the embryo takes control of its own gene expression. But timing is crucial: if these maternal mRNAs are translated too early, development can be disrupted. To prevent this, embryos have evolved sophisticated strategies to keep mRNAs silent so they are only activated after fertilisation. However, little is known about how this activation takes place.

In her previous position as a postdoctoral fellow, Laura discovered two distinct mechanisms that repress mRNA translation in oocytes and early embryos. This work was published in high-impact journals such as Nature and EMBO Reports. Now at IMB,  Laura’s research will focus on the next step: understanding how mRNAs are activated in the embryo and identifying the key molecular complexes involved. Laura thinks that understanding these embryonic regulatory mechanisms is likely to reveal new insights into how mRNA translation is regulated in other contexts, such as ageing and disease, where similar mechanisms are likely to operate. 

Overall, Laura’s work will help us to better understand how cells regulate their genes at a post-transcriptional level in development and disease. We look forward to hearing more about Laura’s research at IMB in future. 

_{Further details}

_{Laura Lorenzo-Orts is a Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB). Further information about research in the Lorenzo-Orts lab can be found at www.imb.de/lorenzo-orts.}

_{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}