The Professors Dr. Yvonne Mast and Dr. Laura Steenpaß from the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures held their inaugural lectures at the Technische Universität Braunschweig on 11 October 2023. Due to the pandemic, the inaugural lectures were postponed by three years.
Head of department since 2019: Prof. Dr. Yvonne Mast
Prof. Dr. Yvonne Mast has been Head of the Department of Bioresources for Bioeconomy and Health Research at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ and Professor of Applied Microbiology at the Institute of Microbiology at the Technische Universität Braunschweig since 2019. The focus of her work at the DSMZ is on researching and utilising the biosynthetic potential of actinomycetes, which are an important resource for antibiotic drug research. Her inaugural lecture provided an overview of the biology and of actinomycetes, as well as their potential for new active substances from silent gene clusters. By activating silent gene clusters, new active substances for biotechnological applications and antibiotic agents can be researched.
Prof. Dr. Laura Steenpaß: Head of Department since 2020
Prof. Dr. Laura Steenpaß has been Head of the Department of Human and Animal Cell Cultures at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ and Professor of Cell Biology at the Zoological Institute of the Technische Universität Braunschweig since 2020. The focus of her work at the DSMZ is on the use of human cancer cell lines and pluripotent stem cells for research into genetically caused diseases. The central topic of her inaugural lecture was the importance of human and animal cell cultures in cell biology research. Using the example of the cancer retinoblastoma, the use of cancer cell lines and pluripotent stem cells in both cell biological and pre-clinical research of diseases was explained.
Press contact:
PhDr. Sven-David Müller, Head of Public Relations, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Phone: +49 (0)531/2616-300
Mail: press(at)dsmz.de
About the Leibniz Institute DSMZ
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures is the world's most diverse collection of biological resources (bacteria, archaea, protists, yeasts, fungi, bacteriophages, plant viruses, genomic bacterial DNA as well as human and animal cell lines). Microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, investigated and archived at the DSMZ. As an institution of the Leibniz Association, the DSMZ with its extensive scientific services and biological resources has been a global partner for research, science and industry since 1969. The DSMZ was the first registered collection in Europe (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014) and is certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001:2015. As a patent depository, it offers the only possibility in Germany to deposit biological material in accordance with the requirements of the Budapest Treaty. In addition to scientific services, research is the second pillar of the DSMZ. The institute, located on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd, accommodates more than 85,000 cultures and biomaterials and has around 220 employees. www.dsmz.de
The Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 97 independent research institutions that range in focus from the natural, engineering and environmental sciences via economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry and the general public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,500 people, including 11,500 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2 billion euros. www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de