The group of Luis Lopez-Molina discovered that imprinted genes play a role to regulate germination processes and that preferential maternal allelic expression can implement maternal inheritance of seed dormancy levels. This study was published on December 22, 2016 in eLife.

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The teams of Michel Goldschmidt-Clermont and Roman Ulm have discovered how the single-cell alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii activates the protection of its photosynthetic machinery when light becomes too intense. Their study, published during the week of December 5, 2016 in PNAS, describes the role of the UV-B receptor in this process.

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Application deadline : December 15, 2016

Geneva offers an outstanding environment for study and research in the molecular life sciences in a beautiful natural setting. Highly motivated students with a Master’s degree or equivalent can apply to the program.

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Elements of the regulatory networks controlling Hox gene expression were hijacked, enabling some of these genes to be reused to form mammary buds, thus favouring the emergence of placental mammals and marsupials. This study, published during the week of November 14, 2016 in PNAS, was led by Leonardo Beccari, from the team of Denis Duboule.

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Are you interested in a Career in Industrial Life Sciences?

A new program entitled Certificate in Industrial Life Sciences (CILS) will be launched in February 2017 by the Faculty of Science, in collaboration with Life Sciences employers in the Lemanic region.

This Certificate aims at improving the employability of students who hold a university degree in Life Sciences (master or PhD in biochemistry, bioinformatics, biology, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences) and the program has been designed to bridge the gap between Academic and Industrial Life Sciences.

Information: CILS.unige.ch

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Registration deadline: November 30, 2016

The team of David Shore has discovered a molecular relay system that helps to balance ribosomal RNA and protein production both when cell growth is optimal and following growth inhibition. The study was published on November 3, 2016 in Molecular Cell.

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Jozsef Zakany collaborated to a study led by researchers from the NIH, who uncovered the existence of an interdigit signaling center that instructs coordinate phalanx-joint formation in mouse embryos. These results were published on October 7, 2016 in Nature Communications.

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The team of Karl Perron has shown that the protein Host factor q (Hfq) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is essential to express its virulence and become resistant to antibiotics of last resort, in the presence of certain metals. The results, presented on October 3, 2016 in Genes, single out the Hfq protein as the Achilles heel of this bacterium.

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An ERC Starting Grant has been awarded to Paul Guichard for his research project “Unravelling the architecture and the cartography of the centriole”

The program is endowed with 1.499 million Euros over 5 years.

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The team of Didier Picard has uncovered an epigenetic mechanism that prevents the activation of numerous genes, including those involved in the growth of breast cells. The study, published on September 29, 2016 in Molecular Cell, shows that histones H2Bub1 stabilise nucleosomes present at the level of inducible enhancers in these genes.

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