Researchers of Saarland University receive ERC Consolidator Grant

A team of Saarland University scientists lead by Robert Ernst, Professor of Molecular Biology, is trying to find out what role the cell membrane plays in the development of chronic diseases.

Their project "MemDense - Cellular control of membrane protein crowding", was granted approximately 2 million euros funding from the European Research Council (ERC) on 10.12.2019. Here the researchers are studying how an imbalance of membrane fats (lipids) and proteins (proteins) in cell membranes can lead to cell stress and thus to disease - and how this cell stress can be reduced. This requires an understanding of the mechanisms within a cell that allow it to recognise and control the substance balance. MemDense researchers suspect that the importance of the cell membrane in the development of diseases has been underestimated so far. The project will start on 1 April 2020.

Until recently the appropriate tools were not available to tackle this question. Classical methods of membrane production do not provide reliable results to study the mechanisms of balance between lipid and protein synthesis. Now, thanks to the method Professor Ernst and his team have developed in recent years, the production of ultrapure cell membranes is possible, thus paving the way for in-depth research on the influence protein density in the membrane has on disease development.

If the Saarland University scientists are able to find out how the balance of membrane fats and proteins at the cell membrane is regulated and controlled, their research results could give a valuable impulse to improve therapy for so-called lifestyle diseases such as diabetes.

ERC Consolidator Grants support promising researchers who are at the beginning of an independent research career, by funding the consolidation of their own research team. This year 2019 the ERC awarded Consolidator Grants to 301 top scientists and scholars across Europe, who were selected from 2,453 research proposals. The research projects proposed by the new grantees cover a wide range of topics in physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, as well as social sciences and humanities. With this support, the new grantees will have a chance to build up their teams and have far-reaching impact.