An international research team led by Helmholtz Munich has, for the first time, provided a detailed insight into how the spatial organization of genetic material is established in the cell nucleus of early embryos within the first hours after…

A Powerful Tool for Modeling Early Human Development

A research team led by Dr. Eva Hörmanseder from the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES) has uncovered crucial factors that limit the success of nuclear reprogramming, a process used to change one type of cell into another. While this…

A team of researchers led by Prof. Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla has identified a new factor that plays a crucial role in regulating retrotransposons and genes at the earliest stages of embryonic development. This discovery sheds new light on the moment…

9th edition of the Munich Epigenetics Spotlight Meeting.

DATE: 16th October 2025

LOCATION: IES Helmholtz Munich

Epigenetics Summer Internship Call for Applications CLOSED

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the "dark side" of the genome, researchers at Helmholtz Munich and…

International Top Scientist from Helmholtz Munich Honored with Germany's Most Prestigious Research Award

The second "Helmholtz Summer School on Chromatin Biology: A Hands-on Expedition", organized by the Helmholtz Munich Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES) and the Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE) in collaboration with the life science…

Five prestigious Starting Grants from the European Research Council have been granted to researchers with Helmholtz Munich as the host institution. The funding will enable scientists at Helmholtz Munich to advance innovative projects across various…

A new paper published in Developmental Cell is the result of a collaboration between the Scialdone (Helmholtz Munich) and Srinivas (Oxford) groups. The two teams combined their respective experimental and computational expertise to unravel the…

Fostering creativity and out-of-the-box thinking – this is one of the key goals of the EU-funded project RepliFate spearheaded by Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla at Helmholtz Munich. The multidisciplinary and intersectoral consortium focuses on…

This multidisciplinary workshop will bring together 15 OUTSTANDING SPEAKERS with the objective of tackling the various dimensions of epigenetic mechanisms in resilience and adaptation, by providing a platform for researchers to exchange knowledge,…

As single-cell omic techniques continue to revolutionize our understanding of gene expression patterns, the need for robust tools to infer gene regulatory networks (GRNs) becomes increasingly urgent. In a new study, Dr. Scialdone and his team at…

Chromosome segregation, a fundamental process in cell division, ensures the precise distribution of genetic material to daughter cells. Chen et al., explore the role of non-coding RNAs contributing to the robustness of this process.

Prof. Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla about empowering a team and her enthusiasm for epigenetics.

The Dynamic Journey of DNA Replication Timing and Its Impact on Cellular Plasticity 

The intricate process of duplicating genetic information, referred to as DNA replication, lies at the heart of the transmission of life from one cell to another…

Researchers at the Hamperl lab from the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), working alongside the Scialdone lab at the institute and Lopes lab in University of Zurich, introduce the innovative approach for accurately mapping the dynamics…

In a recent publication in Genes and Development, the researchers from Torres-Padilla lab (Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, IES) have shed light on the intricate interplay between nuclear organization and transcriptional activity during early…

In July, the Torres-Padilla lab published two new manuscripts showcasing their latest research contributions.

The analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data is a powerful tool for identifying new types of cells. However, the rarer the cells are, the more challenging it becomes to find and characterize them. This means that rare cells can often go unnoticed,…

The Leopoldina as German National Academy of Sciences provides science-based advice to policymakers and the public, promoting a scientifically enlightened society and responsible application of scientific insights. Prof Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla…

It is commonly known that DNA assembles into heterochromatin, a densely composed structure, thereby preventing access to the information encoded by the DNA and gene expression. Until now it is not completely understood how this structure forms during…

Before a cell divides, the genomic content of a cell is duplicated during DNA replication. Each cell has many origins of replication (ORIs), but not all are active at the same time, and some fire earlier and some later. Combining their approach to…

In the perspective article "In preprints: improving and interrogating embryo models", Antonio Scialdone from the Institute for Epigenetics and Stem Cells, the Institute of Functional Epigenetics, and the Institute of Computational Biology at…

Inspired by recent work from Antonio Scialdone’s group on the spatial expression of olfactory neurons, Maria Elena Torres Padilla and Robert Schneider, directors of IES and IFE respectively, teamed up with the Deutsches Museum to share our research…

The first 'Helmholtz Summer School on Chromatin Biology: A hands-on-expedition', organized by the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES) and the Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE) in collaboration with Abcam, took place on Campus from…

The ability to reprogram cells holds great promises for regenerative medicine. Cells from the embryo at the beginning of life divide and produce all cell types in the body. What can embryos teach us so that we can generate cells ‘à la carte’ to cure…

During her stay in August 2022, Anna Dumitriu ran a workshop with researchers at the Institute for Epigenetics and Stem Cells to share her thoughts and experiences of the creative process underlying her artwork “The Cellular Reprogramming Necklace”.

Over the last 60 years, research has shed light on histone PTMs and their role in all DNA-templated processes. In the last decade, novel methodologies, such as genome-wide sequencing approaches, have paved the way toward understanding how their…

Just as we use Google Maps, cells rely on gradient sensing of signal molecules to reach their destination. However, in their case, the destination is the source of the attractant and not the restaurant of choice. Using mathematical models,…

The EU funds a new Innovative Training Network (ITN) in the field of DNA replication, cell fate, and cancer with Helmholtz Munich as a beneficiary. The ITN will investigate the role of DNA replication as a determinant of cell fate and cancer.

The sense of smell is essential for almost all animals. It helps find food, detect dangers, and distinguish between friends and enemies. As the saying goes: You really get up my nose.

Research carried out at Helmholtz Munich has shown that…

From October 17th to 20th October 2022, the conference "EpIC - EpiGene3Sys meets INC_Spain to ChromDesign the Genome" will take place in Granada, Spain. The registration will open soon.

Replacing sick or damaged cells with healthy cells: this is a major goal of regenerative medicine. One of the most promising approaches is cellular reprogramming, whereby one cell type in our body converts to another cell type. Research carried out…

Reversing injury or disease is a major objective in research towards regenerative medicine. Replacing sick or damaged cells with healthy cells in order to repair damaged tissue is one of the most impactful strategies towards that goal. For that, a…

We are delighted to announce the launch of the "1st Helmholtz Summer School on Chromatin Biology: A hands-on expedition", which will take place at the Neuherberg Campus of Helmholtz Munich, from August 15-26, 2022.

The possibility to generate any cell type from a differentiated, somatic cell can advance cell-replacement therapies and holds great promises to regenerative medicine. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cell-fate changes…

For the first time, scientists based at Helmholtz Munich and the University of Oxford were able to shed light on one of the most critical stages of human embryonic development (gastrulation). The finding, published in the journal Nature, will…

For the first time, scientists based at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University of Oxford were able to shed light on one of the most critical stages of human embryonic development (gastrulation). Their findings will drive future studies to…

After a rigorous peer-review process, the board of trustees of Academia Europeae, the pan-European academy of science, humanities, and letters, has elected our Stem Cell expert Prof. Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla. This is a recognition of her standing…

The work of the Scialdone Lab at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Rodriguez at the Imperial College elucidates that differences in mitochondrial activity are key determinants for cellular fitness in various contexts, where endogenous cell…

Cellular competition is a crucial quality control process that ensures that the development of an organism relies on healthy cells. Researchers revealed the secrets underlying cell competition and what features can pre-determine whether a cell will…

After a rigorous peer review process, the board of trustees of Academia Europeae, the pan-European academy of science, humanities and letters, has elected the Stem Cell expert Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla as well as the Epigenetics expert Robert…

The German research foundation DFG funds the collaborative research center ‘Chromatin Dynamics’ (SFB 1064) for four more years. Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität München, Technical University of Munich and the Max Planck…

Cell reprogramming provides an outstanding opportunity for the artificial generation of stem cells for regenerative medicine approaches in the clinic. As current cell reprogramming methods are low in efficiency, researchers around the globe aim to…

EpiCrossBorders, a new international research school for epigenetics across borders, will connect the research excellence of Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University of Edinburgh to establish new research topics and train future leaders in…