Research

Research Priorities: Control of protein synthesis, Post-transcriptional control of gene regulation and its disorders in genetic diseases, Regulation of human iron metabolism, Metabolic processes and gene regulation, Riboregulation

Matthias Hentze is a physician. He is currently investigating connections between metabolic processes and gene regulation and how they influence one another. Following his discovery of hundreds of new RNA-binding proteins, he has a particular interest in riboregulation, a biological control mechanism that Hentze’s team also recently newly described.

For many years, his research focused on the control mechanisms of protein synthesis, post-transcriptional control of gene regulation and its disorders in genetic diseases, as well as the regulation of human iron metabolism and how imbalances contribute to disease. Matthias Hentze’s work has made key contributions to the understanding of translational control. A cell must always regulate how much of an enzyme, signal molecule or structural protein it produces. Translation allows a cell to react very quickly to changing conditions and, for example, rapidly produce many proteins. If translational control malfunctions, diseases such as cancer may result.

Hentze also discovered that proteins interact directly with RNA and can influence their functions. He managed to identify several of these riboregulations. He and his team developed investigative methods to analyse protein interactions and understand the role of proteins in genome regulation. He wants to discover which proteins and mechanisms play a key role in the control of gene expression and which dysregulations are linked to diseases.

Career

• since 2013 Director, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2005 Associate Director, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2005 Professor (apl.), Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2002 Co-Director “Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit”, University of Heidelberg and EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• 2001-2005 Unit Coordinator “Training, Partnership & Endowment”, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 1998 Senior Scientist, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• 1996-2005 Dean of Graduate Studies, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• 1990 Habilitation für the subject “Medical Molecular Biology”, Faculty for Theoretical Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 1989 Group Leader, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
• 1987-1989 Visiting Associate, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, USA
• 1985-1987 Guest Researcher, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, USA
• 1985 Attending Physician, Internal Medicine, St. Vinzenz Hospital, Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany
• 1984 Promotion “Influence of amino acid analogs on maturation, transport and stability of cathepsin D in human skin fibroblasts”, Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster), Münster, Germany
• 1984 3rd medical examination and licensure as a doctor (“Approbation als Arzt” | German official license to practice medicine)
• 1983-1984 Glasgow Medical School, Cambridge Medical School and Oxford Medical School, UK
• 1982-1983 Medical Faculty and Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
• 1981-1982 Southampton Medical School, Southhampton, UK
• 1978-1981 Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

Functions

• 2022 Chair, Scientific Academic Advisory Committee Review, Weizmann Institute,Rehovot, Israel
• since 2021 Advisor, Diversity, Inclusion & Equity (DIE) Working Group, The RNA Society, McLean, USA
• since 2021 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, KAUST Smart Health Initiative, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi-Arabien
• since 2014 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Istituto Nationale di Genetica Molecolare (INGM), Italy
• since 2013 Member, Board of Trustees, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2013 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Cold Spring Harbor Conferences Asia, Suzhou, China
• since 2011 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Centenary Institute, Sydney, Australia
• since 2006 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Centro de Biologia Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CBMSO), Madrid, Spain
• 2014-2020 Member, Selection Committee, Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize, German Research Foundation (DFG)
• 2013-2016 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
• 2012 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
• 2010-2016 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, BioCity Turku, Turku, Finland
• since 2009 International Advisory Board, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews RNA
• 2009-2016 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
• 2009-2016 Member, Board of Trustees, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
• 2008-2014 International Advisory Board, Queens University Belfast Medical School, UK
• since 2008 Senior Editor, EMBO Molecular Medicine
• since 2003 Editorial Board, BioMed Central Molecular Biology
• since 1997 Editorial Board, RNA
• since 1996 Editorial Board, trends in Biochemical Sciences [TiBS]

Projects

• 2011 Advanced Grant “Exploring the interface between cell metabolism and gene regulation: from mRNA interactomes to ‘REM networks’”, European Research Council (ERC)
• 2010 Project “Generation and analysis of mouse lines with IRP hyperactivity and deficiency“, Systembiologie Förderinitiative Virtual Liver, Federal Ministry for Research and Education, Germany
• 2006 Subproject “Systemic regulation of iron metabolism by the IRE/IRP system“, Project „EUROIRON 1”, 6th Research Framework Programme, European Union (EU)
• 2004 Projekt “Genetic modifiers in β-thalassemia”, German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany
• 2004 Project “Systematic analysis of microRNA expression in cancer development and metastasis“, National Genome Research Network 2 – CancerNet, Federal Ministry for Research and Education, Germany
• 1999 Project “Structural and functional basis of mRNA end-to-end coupling in the control of mRNA translation”, Human Frontier Science Program, International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO)
• 1995 Project “Optimized Protein Synthesis”, Framework IV Biotechnology, EU

Honours and Memberships

• 2023 The Centenary Award, The Biochemical Society, London, UK
• 2021 PRO-SCIENTIA Award 2019, Eckhart-Buddecke-Foundation, Münster, Germany
• 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award, The RNA Society, McLean, USA
• 2018 Ilse and Helmut Wachter Award, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
• since 2018 Elected International Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), USA
• 2017 Honory Doctorate, Australia National University, Canberra, Australia
• 2016 Investigator Award, Heidelberg Molecular Life Sciences (HMLS), Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2016 Elected Member, Academia Europaea (MAE)
• since 2016 Elected Corresponding Member (FAA), Australian Academy of Science, Australia  
• 2016-2019 Director, The RNA Society, McLean, USA
• 2015 The Feodor Lynen Medal and Lecture, German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM)
• since 2010 Honorary Faculty Member, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
• 2007 Lautenschläger Research Prize, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2006 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2003-2007 Elected Director, International BioIron Society (IBIS), USA
• since 2003 Elected Member, European Academy of Sciences
• 2000 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany
• since 1997 Elected Member, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
• 1985 Postdoctoral Fellowship, German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany