Research

Research Priorities: Molecular biology, stem cell research, cancer research, genetics, therapeutic cloning

Rudolf Jaenisch is a German molecular biologist and geneticist. He developed the first transgenic mouse and is considered a pioneer of transgenic research. His mouse model enabled researchers to study the causes of several diseases. It also enabled them to conduct fundamental research about the role of DNA-modifications, imprinting, and the inactivation of the X-Chromosome.

With his research, Rudolf Jaenisch was able to show that external DNA can be integrated into the germ line of a mouse embryos. With this insertion mutagenesis, he was the first to identify the genes central to embryo development. He earned his biggest merits with his research on epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation that are vital for embryonal development and that - if misdirected - can lead to the development of diseases. This research is of especial importance as it pertains to embryonal stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. Here, Rudolf Jaenisch predominately studies the processes that exceed the purely genetic information contained in the genetic material, called DNA. To Science, these are known as “epigenetic mechanisms”. They encompass, for example, the processes of a developing embryo, where embryonal stem cells can potentially differentiate themselves into any desired cell of the body.

The research’s goal is the isolation of suitable embryonal stem cells for the therapy of diseases that so far cannot be treated or can only be treated unsatisfactorily. With his research, he significantly progressed the understanding of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) und delivered impulses for the development of new therapeutical strategies.

Moreover, his mouse model enabled fundamental research to study the role of DNA-modifications, imprinting, and the inactivation of the X-chromosome.

Career

• since 1984 Founding Member, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA
• 1977-1984 Director, Section Tumor Virology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Hamburg, Germany
• 1976-1977 Associate Research Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, USA
• 1973-1976 Assistant Research Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, USA
• 1972 Research Stay, Institute for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, USA
• 1970-1972 Postdoc, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
• 1968-1970 Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Munich, Germany
• Until 1967 Studies in Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Germany

Functions

• 2014-2015 President, International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)

Projects

• 2018-2022 Host, Project “The Role of Microglia in Alzheimers Disease”, German Research Council (DFG), Germany
• 2004 Participating Researcher, Project “Characterisation of the Reprogrammability of neural precursor cells” („Charakterisierung der Reprogrammierungsfähigkeit neuraler Vorläuferzellen“), DFG, Germany

Honours and Memberships

• 2015 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology, March of Dimes, Arlington, USA
• 2014 Otto Warburg Medal, Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie (GBM), Frankfurt/Main, Germany
• 2013 Benjamin Franklin Medal, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, USA
• 2013 Academy Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Biomedical Science, New York Academy Medicine, New York City, USA
• 2013 Passano Award, Passano Foundation, Baltimore, USA
• 2011 Wolf-Preis in Medicine, Wolf Foundation, Herzlia Pituach, Israel
• 2011 Warren Triennial Prize, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
• 2010 National Medal of Science, USA
• 2010 Great Cross with Star, Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany
• 2009 Ernst Schering Prize, Schering Foundation, Berlin, Germany
• 2009 Cozzarelli Prize, Proceedings, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2008 Massry Prize, Meira and Shaul Massry Foundation, Los Angeles, USA
• 2007 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science, Vilcek Foundation, New York City, USA
• 2006 Max Delbrück Medal, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Helmholtz-Association, Berlin, Germany
• since 2004 Member, German National Academy of Science Leopoldina, Germany
• since 2003 Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2003 Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Prize for Cancer Research, Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Foundation, Vaduz, Fürstentum Liechtenstein
• 2002 Robert Koch Award, Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), Federal Republic of Germany
• 2001 Gruber Prizes in Genetics, The Gruber Foundation, New Haven, USA
• 1996 Boehringer Mannheim Prize for Molecular Bioanalytics, Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
• since 1992 Member, American Academy of Art and Sciences, USA
• since 1985 Member, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)