Research into cell droplets: New hope for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases – Lecture by Körber Prize winner Prof. Anthony Hyman at TU Dresden

For his work researching cell droplets, Prof. Anthony Hyman has been awarded with the Körber European Science Prize in 2022, which is endowed with one million euros. The British cell biologist, who conducts his research in Dresden’s Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), discovered that proteins can accumulate locally in high concentrations in intracellular fluid. These “condensates” bear a resemblance to tiny droplets, which are subject to the laws of biophysics, among other things. In contrast to other cell organelles, condensates are not surrounded by a limiting membrane. The sharply increased protein concentration inside them stimulates biochemical reactions that would not be possible on the outside. Condensates are formed rapidly, sometimes in a matter of seconds, and are usually also broken down again quickly. When the breakdown of condensates is disrupted – often due to aging – toxic substances can be deposited in affected cells, triggering degenerative diseases such as ALS or Alzheimer's. Hyman is looking for new medications which could cure these diseases.

Anthony Hyman has shared more of his research with the audience during the Körber Lecture on September 12, 2023 at TU Dresden.

Welcome address:
Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger, TU Dresden

Introduction:
Matthias Mayer, Head of Department Science at the Körber-Stiftung

Reception following the talk

TUD’s press release on the Körber award ceremony