Eukaryotic cells segregate chromosomes with remarkable precision in order to avoid aneuploidies and genomic instability. The conserved protein …

Eukaryotic cells segregate chromosomes with remarkable precision in order to avoid aneuploidies and genomic instability. The conserved protein kinase Aurora B has emerged as the key regulator of kinetochore-microtubule interactions. In prometaphase of mitosis its activity is required to destabilize kinetochore-microtubule interactions that would lead to mis-segregation, a crucial process termed error correction. The molecular mechanisms that allow Aurora B to differentiate between incorrect and correct attachments, however, remain to be established. New results from the Westermann lab (A01) just published in the EMBO Journal (Dudziak et al. 2025) provide important new insights into this process. Combining genetic and biochemical experiments in the model system budding yeast, they show that a conserved protein complex of the outer kinetochore Spc105/Kre28 (Knl1/Zwint in humans), provides a binding site for the Ipl1 (Aurora B) activator protein Sli15 (INCENP). Recruitment of a short Sli15 motif to Spc105 is crucially required for tension-sensitive error correction in yeast cells. These finding bring us an important step closer towards understanding how kinetochores act as force-sensitive signaling scaffolds during sister chromatid biorientation

Congratulations to Dr. Batool Shannan from the Roesch Lab for being selected as one of the three recipients of the Animal Welfare Award, presented …

Congratulations to Dr. Batool Shannan from the Roesch Lab for being selected as one of the three recipients of the Animal Welfare Award, presented by the Central Animal Laboratory at the University Hospital Essen!
Her innovative work on melanoma patient-derived organoids helps reduce the need for mouse models in the development of metastasis-specific cancer therapies.

The Kaiser lab (B01) and Hellerschmied lab (A07), together with colleagues and the Analytics Core Facility Essen (Z03), have published a new …

The Kaiser lab (B01) and Hellerschmied lab (A07), together with colleagues and the Analytics Core Facility Essen (Z03), have published a new paper in Nature Communications on April 3, 2025: "Sulphostin-inspired N-phosphonopiperidones as selective covalent DPP8 and DPP9 inhibitors."

Despite major advances in chemoproteomic profiling, developing selective covalent probes for DPP8/9 remains challenging. This study shows that Sulphostin-inspired N-phosphonopiperidones achieve improved DPP8/9 inhibition, enhanced proteome-wide selectivity, and confirmed cellular engagement—offering a promising strategy for selective targeting of exoproteases like DPPs.

Dana Branzei, our newest associated CRC 1430 member, has joined the Research Center One Health and the Faculty of Biology at the University of …

Dana Branzei, our newest associated CRC 1430 member, has joined the Research Center One Health and the Faculty of Biology at the University of Duisburg-Essen as a Professor this month. She will also contribute to the Centre for Medical Biotechnology.
Her research focuses on how DNA repair mechanisms and chromosome structure interact during the duplication of genetic material.
In recognition of her outstanding scientific achievements, she has been awarded the 2025 Humboldt Professorship by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation!

Congratulations to Verena Cmentowski for successfully defending her PhD thesis "Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of corona assembly and CENP-E …

Congratulations to Verena Cmentowski for successfully defending her PhD thesis "Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of corona assembly and CENP-E kinetochore recruitment" on 01. April, 2025.

On March 26th, CRC 1430 organized another Female Scientists’ Get-Together at the UDE "Brücke." The event brought together female members of …

On March 26th, CRC 1430 organized another Female Scientists’ Get-Together at the UDE "Brücke." The event brought together female members of CRC 1430 and welcomed Viktoria Niebel from GC Plus, who is responsible for promoting equal opportunities in early career stages and provides gender consulting for collaborative projects.
Together with Viktoria, our female scientists discussed how to shape future Get-Togethers to make them as impactful as possible. The goal is to create a supportive space that actively contributes to the career development of young female scientists—through focused topics, tailored workshops, and inspiring guest speakers.