Research

Research Priorities: physical chemistry of molecular organisation, cell compartmentalisation, biomolecular condensates, phase separation

Anthony Hyman is a British cell biologist. He studies how the separation between different physical phases (phase separation) influences the formation of membrane-less subdivisions (compartments) within cells. He aims to understand the underlying mechanisms, the macromolecules involved and the errors that occur in the process. This knowledge can help to better understand neurodegenerative diseases and improve the development of drugs as well as the effectiveness of therapies.

Anthony Hyman's most significant achievements include functional genome research on embryos of the nematode C. elegans. He was one of the first to observe how cells use phase separation to form transient, membrane-less compartments within living cells. Many processes within a cell are organised using compartments. Usually they are surrounded by lipid membranes. In recent years, phase separation has been discovered as a new form of cellular organisation. In this process, a substance passes from one physical state (solid, liquid, gaseous) to another. In living organisms, liquid-liquid phase separation is particularly relevant. A solution of molecules segregates into two separate phases and forms liquid-filled droplets.

Anthony Hyman's research group investigates what role such dynamic, biomolecular condensates play in the transient accumulation of proteins within membrane-less compartments. This organisation (compartmentalisation) of proteins affects their function and influences biochemical processes within the cell. Molecular and cell biological methods help to understand how compartmentalisation influences molecular interactions and how it affects protein concentration and thus the microenvironment. Anthony Hyman also explores how condensates stabilise biochemical processes and achieve sensitivity to stimuli. Temperature, pH, external stimuli, protein mutations, post-translational modifications and the presence of nucleotides are possible factors that influence the formation and dissolution of condensates.

Anthony Hyman's research aims to understand how disruption of condensation can lead to the development of diseases. The goal is to understand the causes of protein-based pathologies to be able to restore physiological conditions and enable healing.

Career

• 2021 Managing Director, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) Dresden, Germany
• 2010-2013 Managing Director, MPI-CBG Dresden, Germany
• 1997 Director, MPI-CBG Dresden, Germany
• 1993-1997 Group Leader, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
• 1988-1992 Postdoc, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
• 1985-1987 Promotion, Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), Medical Research Council (MRC), University of Cambridge, UK
• 1988 PhD in Molecular Cell Biology, King’s College Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
• 1984 Study of Zoology, University College London, London, UK

Functions

• 2017-2020 Chair, Welcome Trust Strategy Committee, London, UK
• 2014-2020 Member, Scientific Advisory Council, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• 2014-2020 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Novo Nordisk Foundation (NFF) Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2014-2017 Member, American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB), USA
• 2013 Member, Academic Research Council (ARC), Singapore
• 2007-2016 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Institute of Molecular Biology of the Austrian Academy Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria

Projects

• since 2020 Participant, Project “Interplay of proteins and nucleic acid polymers in compartment formation“, VolkswagenStiftung, Hannover, Germany
• since 2020 Participant, Project “Phase separation of glycolytic machinery as a fundamental mechanism in energy metabolism“, Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), Strasbourg, France
• since 2018 Leader, Project “Post-translational control of gene expression noise by liquid-liquid phase separation“, German research Foundation (DFG), Germany
• since 2018 Participant, Project “How does the Pericentriolar Matrix function in Centrosome Biology?“, Wellcome Trust, London, UK

Honours and Memberships

• 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Science, Breakthrough Prize Foundation
• 2022 Körber European Science Prize, Körber-Stiftung
• 2021 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2020 NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Award, NOMIS Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
• 2020 Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2020 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences, Wiley Foundation, New York, USA
• 2019 Carl Zeiss Lecture for Outstanding Achievements in Cell Biology, Tübingen, Germany
• 2017 Lifetime Fellow, American Society for Cell Biology, USA
• 2017 Schleiden Medal, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2011 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, DFG, Germany
• 2007 Fellow, Royal Society, UK
• 2007 Norman Heatley Lecture, Sir William Dunn School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
• 2003 EMBO Gold Medal, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), Killarney, Ireland
• seit 2002 Honorary Professor, Technische Universität Dresden; Germany
• 2000 Member, EMBO, Heidelberg, Germany