Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center

Institute of Functional Epigenetics

At the Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE), we aim to uncover how epigenetic information is stored and how the environment controls our epigenome to identify novel therapeutic targets.

At the Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE), we aim to uncover how epigenetic information is stored and how the environment controls our epigenome to identify novel therapeutic targets.

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About Our Research

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Research Groups

Cabianca_Celegans_Larvae1

Cabianca Lab

Environment and Nuclear Organization

We aim to understand how environmental inputs modulate the state, spatial organization, and function of chromatin, using the roundworm C. elegans as a model system.

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Schmoller Lab

Cell and Organelle Size Control

We study the impact of cell size on cell function and investigate how cells coordinate growth and division to control their size.

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Schneider Lab

Chromatin Dynamics and Epigenetics

We decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic inheritance and epigenetic regulation of cellular function. Decoding such epigenetic processes is crucial to developing novel solutions for environmentally triggered diseases for a healthier society.

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Cellular Decision Making

Scialdone Lab

Physics and data-based modelling of cellular decision making

We use artificial intelligence to decode the molecular mechanism behind cellular decision-making e.g., during early mammalian development.

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Groth_Lab_Pic

Groth Lab

Epigenetics, Metabolism, and Acclimation

We explore how environmental changes affect epigenetic regulation and how epigenetic changes contribute to acclimation and stress memory in Arabidopsis thaliana and crops.

News & Highlights

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The DNA is packaged into chromatin

IES, IFE,

Empowering Young Scientists: Applications Open for 2026 Chromatin Summer School

Talented PhD students are encouraged to apply for the upcoming Chromatin Summer School taking place from 17 - 19 August 2026

Exhibition Stem Cells at Deutsches Museum_For Website

Events, Stem Cells, IES, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics, IFE,

Exhibition on Cell Identity at the Deutsches Museum

How do the many different cells in the human body emerge from a single stem cell – and what makes each one unique? The Epigenetics Community at Helmholtz Munich explores these questions in a special exhibition at the Deutsches Museum. From 14. to 16.…

July 2025 GRC Conference Italy - Group photo

IFE,

GRC “Histone and DNA modifications” 2025 organised by Robert Schneider

The 2025 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) "Histone and DNA modifications" conference was organized by Robert Schneider from the Institute for Functional Epigenetics (IFE) at Helmholtz Munich

IFE,

Histone modifications in development

New graphical review produced by Prof. Dr. Robert Schneider and PhD. student Yu-Hao Liu.

Helmholtz talent forum short

Stem Cells, IES, Computational Health, IFE,

Helmholtz Munich will host the Talent Forum

18 & 19 November 2025- The Talent Forum highlights innovative research ideas and promotes global connections across the scientific community.

If you are preparing to become a group leader in Epigenetics and Nucleic Acids Research, apply as a…

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Stem Cells, IES, IFE,

SAVE THE DATE

9th edition of the Munich Epigenetics Spotlight Meeting.

 

DATE: 16th October 2025

LOCATION: IES Helmholtz Munich

IFE Members

Portrait_Robert_Schneider_freigestellt
Prof. Dr. Robert Schneider

Director of the Institute of Functional Epigenetics

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Portrait Till Bartke IFE
Dr. Till Bartke

Deputy Director of the Institute of Functional Epigenetics

Daphne Cabianca picture
Dr. Daphne Selvaggia Cabianca

Group Leader

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Portrait Kurt Schmoller
Dr. Kurt Schmoller

Group Leader

Portrait Antonio Scialdone
Dr. Antonio Scialdone

Group Leader

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Porträt Jessica Pellegrino
Dr. Jessica Pellegrino

Postdoc

Igor.png Portrait
Dr. Igor Kukhtevich

Postdoc

Kevin Brockers
Dr. Kevin Brockers

Postdoc

Dr. Andrey Tvardovskiy

Postdoc

Portrait Iratxe Estivariz
Dr. Iratxe Estivariz

Postdoc

Portait Francesco Padovani
Dr. Francesco Padovani

Postdoc

Sandra Nitsch Self-Portrait
Dr. Sandra Nitsch

Postdoc

Porträt Lukas Krauß
Lukas Krauß

Computational Biologist

SamuelLeCam_Photo-Identité2023
Dr. Samuel Le Cam

Postdoc

Porträt Simona Nasiscionyte
Simona Nasiscionyte

Doctoral Researcher

Porträt Magdalena Valenta
Magdalena Valenta

Doctoral Researcher

Benedikt Mairhörmann
Benedikt Mairhörmann

Doctoral Researcher

Alissa Finster

Doctoral Researcher

Lorenz Pudelko
Lorenz Pudelko

Doctoral Researcher

Staff_IFE - Emilia
Emilia Izabela Cepowska

Doctoral Researcher

Portrait Arohi Khurana
Arohi Khurana

Doctoral Researcher, EpiCrossBorders

Huiwen Li selfie
Huiwen Li

Doctoral Researcher

Eric Yu-Hao Liu
Yu-Hao (Eric) Liu

Doctoral Researcher, EpiCrossBorders

Yuri_DAlessio
Yuri D'Alessio

Doctoral Researcher

Porträt Sarah Christine Pereira de Oliveira
Sarah Christine Pereira de Oliveira

Doctoral Researcher

Fernanda Plabst Images
Fernanda Pabst

Doctoral Researcher

Carole.png
Carole Zaratiegui

Doctoral Researcher

Porträt Bärbel Löffler
Bärbel Löffler

Lab Manager

Daniela Bureik
Daniela Bureik

Research Technician

Porträt Katharina Arnold
Katharina Arnold

Doctoral Researcher, IFE

Johanna Hornung
Johanna Hornung

Research Technician

Portrait Thomas Gerling
Thomas Gerling

Administrative Assistant

Latest Publications

Padovani, F. ; Stegmaier, T. ; Mairhörmann, B. ; Schmoller, K.M.

Analysis of multidimensional microscopy data using cell-ACDC.
EMBO J., DOI: 10.1038/s44318-025-00571-5 (2025)

Kukhtevich, I. ; Persson, S. ; Padovani, F. ; Schneider, R. ; Cvijovic, M. ; Schmoller, K.M.

The origin of septin ring size control in budding yeast.
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 32, 2128-2129 (2025)

Iturbide Martinez De Albeniz, A. ; Ruiz Tejada Segura, M.L. ; Noll, C. ; Schorpp, K.K. ; Rothenaigner, I. ; Ruiz-Morales, E.R. ; Lubatti, G. ; Agami, A. ; Hadian, K. ; Scialdone, A. ; Torres-Padilla, M.E.

Addendum: Retinoic acid signaling is critical during the totipotency window in early mammalian development.
Mol. Cell 85, 3554-3561 (2025)

Keogh, M.C. ; Almouzni, G. ; Andrews, A.J. ; Armache, K.J. ; Arrowsmith, C.H. ; Baek, S.H. ; Bedford, M.T. ; Bernstein, E. ; Côté, J.-A. ; David, Y. ; Denu, J.M. ; Fierz, B. ; Garcia, B.A. ; Glass, K.C. ; Gozani, O. ; Helin, K. ; Henikoff, S. ; Jensen, O.N. ; Josefowicz, S.Z. ; Kelleher, N.L. ; Kutateladze, T.G. ; Lindner, H.H. ; Lu, C. ; Luger, K. ; Mallick, P. ; Musselman, C.A. ; Muir, T.W. ; Pasa-Tolic, L. ; Schneider, R. ; Shi, X. ; Shi, Y. ; Sidoli, S. ; Smith, L.M. ; Tyler, J.K. ; Wolberger, C. ; Workman, J.L. ; Strahl, B.D. ; Young, N.L.

A needed nomenclature for nucleosomes.
Mol. Nutr. Food Res., DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.70261:e70261 (2025)

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

Dad's diet shapes the future: How paternal nutrition impacts placental development and childhood metabolic health.
Development 152:dev204384 (2025)

Liu, Y.-H. ; Schneider, R.

Histone modifications in development.
Stem Cell Rep. 20:102447 (2025)

Zikmund, T. ; Fiorentino, J. ; Penfold, C. ; Stock, M. ; Shpudeiko, P. ; Agarwal, G. ; Langfeld, L. ; Petrova, K. ; Peshkin, L. ; Hamperl, S. ; Scialdone, A. ; Hörmanseder, E.

Differentiation success of reprogrammed cells is heterogeneous in vivo and modulated by somatic cell identity memory.
Sci. Adv. 11:eado1350 (2025)

Neupane, J. ; Lubatti, G. ; Gross-Thebing, T. ; Ruiz Tejada Segura, M.L. ; Butler, R.H. ; Gross-Thebing, S. ; Dietmann, S. ; Scialdone, A. ; Surani, M.A.

The emergence of human primordial germ cell-like cells in stem cell-derived gastruloids.
Mol. Syst. Biol. 21, 214-230 (2025)

Stock, M. ; Losert, C. ; Zambon, M. ; Popp, N. ; Lubatti, G. ; Hörmanseder, E. ; Heinig, M. ; Scialdone, A.

Leveraging prior knowledge to infer gene regulatory networks from single-cell RNA-sequencing data.
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 32:405 (2025)

Throll, P. ; G Dolce, L. ; Rico-Lastres, P. ; Arnold, K. ; Tengo, L. ; Basu, S. ; Kaiser, S. ; Schneider, R. ; Kowalinski, E.

Author Correction: Structural basis of tRNA recognition by the m3C RNA methyltransferase METTL6 in complex with SerRS seryl-tRNA synthetase.
MicroPubl. Biol. 2025, DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001472 (2025)

Al-Refaie, N. ; Padovani, F. ; Schmoller, K.M. ; Cabianca, D.S.

Localization and expression dynamics of an RNA Pol I core subunit in response to fasting in C. elegans.
EMBO J., DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00227-w (2024)

Chatzitheodoridou, D. ; Bureik, D. ; Padovani, F. ; Nadimpalli, K.V. ; Schmoller, K.M.

Decoupled transcript and protein concentrations ensure histone homeostasis in different nutrients.
Epigenomics 16, 1061-1065 (2024)

Tvardovskiy, A. ; Lukauskas, S. ; Bartke, T.

Breaking the epigenetic code with MARCS: The Modification Atlas of Regulation by Chromatin States.
In: Chromatin Immunoprecipitation. 2024. 1-16 (Methods Mol. Biol. ; 2846)

Nitsch, S. ; Schneider, R.

Native ChIP: Studying the genome-wide distribution of histone modifications in cells and tissue.

Our Institute in Numbers

43
Employees
15
Nationalities
4467
Cups of Coffee
8
IFE Barbecues
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Networks and Affiliations

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Epigenetics@Helmholtz Munich

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Logo  EpiCrossBorders - Epigenetics across Borders

Research School EpiCrossBorders

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International Training Network Cell2Cell

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CRC Chromatin Dynamics

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Logo Sonderforschungsbereich 1309

CRC Chemical Biology of Epigenetic Modifications

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German Research Foundation

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Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

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Thomas Gerling

Administrative Assistant

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