Körber European Science Prize 2022 for Anthony Hyman

Anthony Hyman © Friedrun Reinhold - The director at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden receives the award for the discovery of condensates - cell droplets without a membrane In 2009, Hyman and his team - during studies on single-cell embryos of a threadworm - discovered a completely new state of biological matter: proteins can accumulate locally in high concentrations in the cell fluid. These "condensates" resemble tiny drops. They form dynamically, sometimes in a matter of seconds, and are usually also quickly broken down again. In the degradation is disturbed - often due to age - toxic substances can be deposited in affected cells, triggering degenerative diseases such as ALS or Alzheimer's disease. Hyman is now looking for new drugs that could cure these diseases. In healthy human cells, condensates are formed when, for example, they are exposed to stress - such as poisoning, radiation or heat: Stress granules then shut down the activity of the cell in a kind of lockdown strategy to prevent permanent damage. In the brain, for example, neurotransmitters responsible for signal transmission in the synapses accumulate in condensates.