Cell Biology Seminar

Mondays - 11:15

Room C161, IZB, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012 Bern

ICB Seminars Spring Semester 2026

Date

Speaker

Affiliation

Talk Title

23. Februrary, 2026

Dr. Hermes Gadelha
(invited by Prof. Dr. Eva Glünz)

University of Bristol

"Animating Matter: Reaction–Diffusion Motion Patterns from Molecular Motors to Cilia and Robots"

09. March, 2026

Dr. Romain Levayer
(invited by Prof. Dr. Olivier Pertz)

Institut Pasteur

"Toward a predictive understanding of epithelial cell death: from collective effects to single cell decision"

16. March, 2026

Prof. Dr. Charlotte Aumeier
(invited by Prof. Dr. Olivier Pertz)

University of Geneva

"Motors shaping the microtubule network"

23. March, 2026

Prof. Dr. Pedro Beltrao
(invited by Ana Maria Stavridi)

ETH Zurich

"Stress-testing AlphaFold3: modelling host-pathogen interactions, RNA binding, and protein ubiquitination"

13. April, 2026

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Kleele
(invited by Prof. Dr. Torsten Ochsenreiter)

ETH Zurich

“How mitochondrial remodeling drives cellular metabolism and function”

20. April, 2026

Dr. Gaudenz Danuser
(Invited by Prof. Dr. Olivier Pertz)

Institute of Human Biology, Roche

"Cell morphological control of oncogenic signals"

27. April, 2026

Dr. Manu De Rycker
(invited by Dr. Gaelle Lentini)

University of Dundee

"Drug Discovery for Kinetoplastid Diseases; developing new treatments and approaches"

04. May, 2026

Dr. Hans-Georg Sprenger
(Invited by Prof. Dr. Torsten Ochsenreiter)

Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, University of Cologne

"Exercise-Sensitive Metabolites and Their Role in Metabolic Reprogramming"

11. May, 2026

Dr. Gautier Courbon
(Invited by Prof. Dr. Eva Glünz)

University of Toronto

"Cryo-EM in tuberculosis drug discovery: from bedaquiline to next-generation inhibitors"

18. May, 2026

Prof. Dr. Dirk Fasshauer
(invited by Mathi Funk)

University of Lausanne

TBA

Monday, May 4th, 2026 - 11:15 - Baltzerstrasse 4, Room C161

Photo of professor doctor Tatjana Kleele

Dr. Hans-Georg Sprenger | Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, University of Cologne | "Exercise-Sensitive Metabolites and Their Role in Metabolic Reprogramming"

Mitochondria are cellular compartments controlling many metabolic pathways important to ensure functioning of these networks and maintain energy homeostasis. Functional mitochondria are vital for enabling our metabolism to adapt to varying environmental conditions, such as diet, physical activity, or stress. As we age, mitochondrial function and the capacity of our metabolism to adjust to these changing conditions decline, leading to disruptions in energy balance and contributing to age-related metabolic disorders. However, exercise training can significantly enhance mitochondrial function, reshape metabolism, and help prevent or mitigate many chronic diseases associated with aging, ultimately promoting a longer, healthier life. Despite these insights, our understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms involved remains incomplete.

Monday, May 11th, 2026 - 11:15 - Baltzerstrasse 4, Room C161

Photo of doctor gautier Courbon

Dr. Gautier Courbon | University of Toronto | "Cryo-EM in tuberculosis drug discovery: from bedaquiline to next-generation inhibitors"

Cryo-EM method development and Bioenergetics Electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) of macromolecular assemblies has become an important technique in structural biology. The method allows biologists to determine high-resolution structures of proteins that cannot be crystallized for X-ray crystallography, and also allows for investigation of the molecular motions that are essential for biomolecular function. We are developing new methods for preparing specimens, imaging them, and performing image analysis in order to expand the potential of the technique. ​ We are particularly interested in the control and flow of energy in biological systems (bioenergetics). In biology, chemical energy is frequently interconverted with transmembrane electrochemical gradients of protons. In humans and some pathogenic bacteria, the supply of energy from metabolism is dependent on the availability of the electron acceptor oxygen. Our structural studies aim to understand, at a molecular level, processes such as Mycobacteria oxidative phosphorylation as a target space for tuberculosis (TB) and nontuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) drug discovery Control of pH in intracellular compartments by the V-type ATPase Loading of neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicle by V-type ATPases