Two major honors have been awarded to researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried. Elena Conti was recognized with the Jung Prize for Science and Research, while Wolfgang Baumeister received the international 2025 Shaw Prize. Both awards highlight the global impact and excellence of the Martinsried research hub.

Which molecular mechanisms are responsible for the controlled degradation of mRNA molecules? How are mRNAs packaged, safeguarded and transported through the crowded cellular environment to reach the protein-synthesis machineries? These questions are at the center of Elena Conti’s research. On May 15, 2025, Conti was awarded the prestigious Jung Prize for Science and Research.

Elena Conti, director and head of the research department “Structural Cell Biology” at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich, researches how cells recognise and degrade defective messenger RNAs (mRNAs). She is particularly interested in disease-relevant mutations in these mechanisms, which she is decoding using the latest methods. Disorders in this process can favour neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), certain types of cancer and genetic metabolic disorders. Her work in this field has made a decisive contribution to understanding the interplay of molecular machines.

Wolfgang Baumeister, Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, is being awarded the prestigious 2025 Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine. The award recognizes his pioneering development and use of cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), an imaging technique that enables three-dimensional visualization of biological samples. This revolutionary method allows proteins, macromolecular complexes, and cellular compartments to be viewed in their natural cellular settings. The Shaw Prize, endowed with 1.2 million US dollars, will be presented in Hong Kong on October 21.