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The graduate program "CiM-IMPRS", run by the Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre (CiM) of the University of Münster and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, celebrated its 15th anniversary on Thursday, October 10. The celebration took place as part of an international scientific conference that the programme's doctoral students organize independently every year in Münster.

The α-latrotoxin, which is dangerous for humans, causes severe muscle contractions and spasms. A research team led by Prof Christos Gatsogiannis and Prof Andreas Heuer showed in detail how the molecule is structured and how it affects nerve cells. To do so, they used high-performance cryo-electron microscopy and molecular dynamics computer simulations. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Emmy Noether junior research group leader Dr Maria Florencia Sánchez has been working at the European Institute for Molecular Imaging for several months. Dr Sánchez, who was born in Argentina, and her team are investigating how cells communicate with each other and how they perceive and react to their environment. She also supports students and young scientists at the University of Münster.

As a clinician scientist, junior professor Dr Philipp Backhaus is good at juggling the demands of research and hospital work. A specialist in nuclear medicine with six children, he hopes his research will help bring about concrete improvements in medical care. This is a dual role that requires good organisational abilities and the support of those around him.