In all mammals, the reward system is a fundamental brain circuit that reinforces certain behaviours by providing the motivation necessary for their achievement. Search for food, learning or emotional behaviours are for…

Many bacteria adopt a fascinating defense strategy by forming communities on surfaces, known as biofilms. We encounter such biofilms in our daily lives, for example, as dental plaque in the mouth, slimy films on stones in…

The ability to turn experiences into memories allows us to learn from the past and use what we learned as a model to respond appropriately to new situations. For this reason, as the world around us changes, this memory model…

Ribosomes produce all the body’s proteins and are therefore also referred to as "protein factories". Their architecture and function have largely remained unchanged over millions of years, highlighting their importance for…

Extremely dry – the habitat of killifish The turquoise killifish inhabits areas characterized by extreme conditions. The species, native to Africa, can survive prolonged periods of drought due to its unique life cycle.…

The unusual enzyme HDCR produces formic acid from gaseous hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), thus removing CO 2 from the environment and storing it in the cell. In this process, HDCR transfers electrons from hydrogen…

In nature, bacteria usually live in communities. They collectively colonize our gut, also known as the gut microbiome, or form biofilms such as dental plaque. Living in communities provides many advantages to the individual…

The jury recognizes Prof. Spang’s rigorous pursuit of knowledge and novel discoveries regarding the compartmentalization of cellular organelles, proteins, and mRNA. They also greatly appreciated her ambition to study these…

Cell death is crucial for all organisms. Damaged cells or cells infected with viruses or bacteria eliminate themselves by starting a built-in “suicide” program, which prevents the development of tumors and the spread of…

The abundance and diversity of viruses on our planet is unimaginable. It is estimated that there are about a trillion virus particles on each grain of sand. Many viruses are still waiting to be discovered. The majority of…