Apr 16, 2021
MSNZ fellow Anna Poetsch and team wins DZG overarching project
The BMBF funded German Centers for Health Research (DZG) are alliances that want to set optimal research conditions in the fight against widespread diseases. In Dresden three of these centers deal respectively with neurodegenerative diseases (DZNE), diabetes (DZD) or cancer (DKTK). To meet up and discuss latest research annual joint symposia were set since 2019, whereas this years 3rd Joint Dresden DZG Symposium took place virtually.
The collaboration between the different centers aims to fuel translational research by sharing interdisciplinary approaches and global challenges. In this context DZG overarching projects have been called for. These grants summing up to 10,000€ can than be used for joint research projects from two collaborating health centers.
The MSNZ is very pleased that the Biomedical Genomics group, led by MSNZ fellow Dr. Anna Poetsch, has also obtained one. With this synergistic project on the epigenetic function of oxidative DNA damage, Anna Poetsch's team at Biotec and NCT/UCC Dresden, together with Tomohisa Toda's group at DZNE, aim to analyze those genome alterations triggered by oxidative stress that can initiate both cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. "This combination of computational approaches and proof-of-concept experiments will allow us to generate functional data of oxidative DNA “damage” as a novel epigenetic regulator with potential roles in physiology and pathology," Anna Poetsch explains and emphases, "As it is a basic mechanistic question, the possibility of collaboration offers absolute added value in the identification of multiple disease patterns." We are looking forward to your outcomes, which we are sure to get to know at the 4th Joint Dresden DZG Symposium.