Johannes Beckers

PI of the research group “Epigenetics and gene regulation”; Deputy Director of the Institute of Experimental Genetics

+49 89 3187 3513 beckers@helmholtz-munich.de

Building / Room: 35.14, 315

“Many of our traits are not determined by the DNA sequence of our genome. We aspire to understand how external and environmental factors impact our genes and our health through epigenetic mechanisms.”

Visit the Research Website: "Gene Regulation and Epigenetics"

Understanding the conditions and mechanisms that allow us to reverse the epigenetic inheritance of acquired diabetes and obesity from one generation to the next is at the core of the research that is done in Johannes Beckers’ group. To address this question, he uses the mouse as model system for metabolic diseases in man. Studying of intergenerational inheritance, so far, requires organismal work that cannot be replaced by in vitro or in silico models. His finding that obesity and diabetes due to over-feeding impacts on the metabolic health of the progeny, has opened the very recent field of epigenetic intergenerational epigenetics. Johannes’ research is driven by the aim to understand how this inheritance contributes to the world-wide pandemic of diabetes and obesity and how it can be reversed by applying specific treatments.

Mammalian Genetics and Epigenetics Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Embryogenesis and Developmental Biology Animal Models and Animal Welfare in Research

Johannes joined Helmholtz Munich as group leader in 2000 and a few years later he also became Professor at the Technical University Munich. He teaches genetics and developmental biology of animals. Before he came to Helmholtz Munich, he was postdoc at the Jackson Laboratory where he worked on the Delta1 gene and its function during embryonic development in the group of Prof. Achim Gossler. He received his PhD in biology from the University of Geneva where he studied gene regulation in the HOXD complex in the institute of Prof. Denis Duboule. Before that he studied biology at the Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg and received his diploma for his work on the regulation of the human C-reactive protein in transgenic mice in the group of Prof. Ulrich Rüther at the EMBL Heidelberg.

Recently he also got a degree as Executive MBA in communication and leadership by the Technical University Munich. Communicating to the public about the conditions under which animal experiments are performed in research is of great concern for him. Knowledge we have from animals still changes our conception of the world and saves the lives of millions of people every year.

DFG postdoctoral fellowship and DFG research funding as PI
Fellowships of the German Human Genome Project
EU funding such as Horizon 2020
Paula und Richard von Hertwig Preis (twice)

Selloum, M. ; da Silva Buttkus, P. ; Riet, F. ; Dragano, N.R.V. ; Garrett, L. ; Jacobs, H. ; Hölter, S.M. ; Torquet, N. ; Rathkolb, B. ; Lindner, L. ; Gailus-Durner, V. ; Pavlovic, G. ; Chan, L. ; Beckers, J. ; Demoulière, B.P. ; Fuchs, H. ; Ey, E. ; Sorg, T. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Herault, Y.

Standardized pipeline for metabolism and cognition in GO-DS21 mouse model: Investigating down syndrome comorbidities.

Cahill, T. ; Nalesso, V. ; Clarke, P. ; Lagrán, M.M.d. ; Strydom, A. ; Li, C. ; Potier, M. ; Beckers, J. ; Langohr, K. ; Lió, P. ; Torre, R.d.L. ; Forcano, L. ; Hiance-Delahaye, A. ; Hérault, Y. ; Dierssen, M.

Understanding obesity in individuals with down syndrome: Caregiver perceptions, awareness, and motivation.

Offer, S. ; Czech, H. ; Di Bucchianico, S. ; Hartikainen, A. ; Ihalainen, M. ; Hakkarainen, H. ; Happo, M.S. ; Huttunen, K. ; Ihantola, T. ; Suhonen, H. ; Uski, O. ; Martikainen, M. ; Dilger, M. ; Schlager, C. ; Candeias, J. ; Irmler, M. ; Beckers, J. ; Jakobi, G. ; Kanashova, T. ; Kortelainen, M. ; Kuuspalo, K. ; Lamberg, H. ; Leskinen, A. ; Michalke, B. ; Oeder, S. ; Orasche, J. ; Passig, J. ; Yli-Pirilä, P. ; Rönkkö, T. ; Schnelle-Kreis, J. ; Sklorz, M. ; Streibel, T. ; Tissari, J. ; Buters, J. ; Mülhopt, S. ; Weiß, C. ; Dittmar, G. ; Jokiniemi, J. ; Hirvonen, M. ; Jalava, P. ; Sippula, O. ; Zimmermann, R.

Atmospheric aging alters the toxicity mechanisms of residential wood combustion aerosol: A parallel In Vivo and In Vitro study.

Caregiver-associated physical activity patterns, dietary behaviors and interventional beliefs in individuals with down syndrome: Insights from a large European survey.

Laurent, K. ; Hoffmann, S. ; Marschall, S. ; Richter, K.B. ; Teperino, R. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Skerrett-Byrne, D.A. ; Beckers, J.

Embryo transfer following IVF alters susceptibility to metabolic phenotypes in male mouse offspring compared to naturally conceived offspring.

Laurent, K. ; Teperino, R. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Skerrett-Byrne, D.A. ; Beckers, J.

Epigenetic legacy: The role of sperm miRNAs in the paternal inheritance of diabetes and obesity development.

Harada, M. ; Adam, J. ; Han, S. ; Shi, M. ; Ge, J. ; Lintelmann, J. ; Cecil, A. ; Zukunft, S. ; Prehn, C. ; Witting, M. ; Scheerer, M.F. ; Neschen, S. ; Irmler, M. ; Beckers, J. ; Adamski, J. ; Teupser, D. ; Linkohr, B. ; Gieger, C. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Peters, A. ; Wang-Sattler, R.

Urea cycle modulation by combined SGLT2 inhibitors and metformin.

Trigg, N.A. ; Mulhall, J.E. ; Nixon, B. ; Laurent, K. ; Pai, S. ; Smyth, S.P. ; Burke, N.D. ; Beckers, J. ; Bromfield, E.G. ; Karr, T.L. ; Lord, T. ; Pleuger, C. ; Schjenken, J.E. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Teperino, R. ; Skerrett-Byrne, D.A.

Curating fertility—proteomic remodelling of sperm during epididymal transit.

Ehlich, H. ; Blease, A. ; Biju, R. ; Gustems, M. ; Song, F. ; Fessele, S. ; Massimi, M. ; Bozonelos, K. ; Ntafis, V. ; Hiltunen, A.E. ; Marschall, S. ; Stoeger, C. ; Khorshidi, Z. ; Ziadi, A. ; Jambou, K. ; Armagno, A. ; Scavizzi, F. ; Raspa, M. ; Fernández, J. ; del Hierro, M.J. ; Ayadi, A. ; Pensavalle, J. ; Prevost, G. ; Dufkova, L. ; Krupkova, M. ; Nickl, P. ; Krimpenfort, P. ; Jonkers, J. ; Valera Vazquez, G. ; Raess, M. ; Beckers, J. ; Moles, A. ; Dahlhoff, M. ; Montoliu, L. ; Herault, Y. ; Hinttala, R. ; Kontoyiannis, D.L. ; Sedlacek, R. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Boersma, A.A. ; Matteoni, R.

A quality framework for cryopreserved rodent disease models: INFRAFRONTIER quality principles in EMMA archiving and distribution.

Bhattacharya, D. ; da Silva Buttkus, P. ; Nalbach, K. ; Cheng, L. ; Garrett, L. ; Irmler, M. ; Kislinger, G. ; Werner, G. ; Rodde, R. ; Lengger, C. ; Beckers, J. ; Zimprich, A. ; Hölter, S.M. ; Gailus-Durner, V. ; Fuchs, H. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Wefers, B. ; Wurst, W. ; Brill, M.S. ; Schifferer, M. ; Lichtenthaler, S.F. ; Behrends, C.

Neuropathy-associated Tecpr2 mutation knock-in mice reveal endolysosomal loss of function phenotypes in neurons and microglia.