Max-Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics

The Max-Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics (MPI-IE) is one of nearly 80 Max Planck Institutes focusing on research excellence. The MPI-IE is the recent site-of-choice for the new Epigenetic Focus, Max-Planck Society’s clear commitment to foster epigenetic research. In addition to a long-standing strength in immunobiology, 3 senior groups and 6 junior groups are devoted to themes related to chromatin and epigenetics. The institute houses its own international PhD program (IMPRS-MCB) and multipe core facilities spanning bio-topics, mouse and fly transgenics, proteomics and genomics. The sequencing and bioinformatics facilities support state-of-the-art epigenomics including their recent assignment as a ChIP-sequencing center for DEEP.

Our lab is interested in defining epigenetic regulatory systems that contribute to the susceptibility and development of complex disease. These paradigms are broad and include, among others, post-translational modifications of histones, non-coding RNAs, and modifiers of chromatin stability such as the Polycomb-Trithorax Groups. What is clear at present is that these epigenetic effectors play a critical role in defining set-points for entire functional gene sets; the fundamental outstanding question we are interested in is how these epigenetic cues influence the susceptibility and development of human disease. In the context of DEEP we will examine one of the first models of truly stochastic epigenetic obesity to probe the potential of heterochromatin insufficiency in disease pathogenesis.

Principal Investigator

  • Photo of Dr. J. Andrew Pospisilik
  • Dr. J. Andrew Pospisilik
  • Independent Group Leader
  • Stuebeweg 51, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
  • Tel: +49 7615108757
  • Fax: +49 7615108790

Additional Team Members

  • Kevin Dalgaard
  • Tel: +49 7615108757
  • Fax: +49 7615108790
  • Role in the project: Understanding molecular mechanisms of stochastic obesity
  • Steffen Heyne
  • Tel: +49 7615108757
  • Fax: +49 7615108790
  • Role in the project: Bioinformatics analysis, understanding limits of heterochromatin