Cellular Logistics

Transport processes between nucleus and cytoplasm

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Fewer laboratory animals thanks to secondary nanobodies

December 20, 2017

Antibodies are indispensable in biological research and medical diagnostics. However, their production is time-consuming, expensive, and requires the use of many animals. Scientists at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, have now developed so-called secondary nanobodies that can replace the most-used antibodies and may drastically reduce the number of animals in antibody production. more

Engineering nanobodies for super-resolution imaging and native protein complex isolation

February 04, 2016

Antibodies serve as tools in research, for example to mark or to isolate proteins. Nanobodies are particularly small antibodies that scientists generate with the help of alpacas and other camelids. They have many advantages but also suffer from drawbacks, for instance when applied in fluorescence microscopy. Researchers headed by Dirk Görlich at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry now developed a method which greatly improves the applicability of nanobodies.

Yearbook Article (2009)

Logistics on smallest possible space: Transport processes between cell nucleus and cytoplasm
The cell nucleus is enclosed by the nuclear envelope, lacks protein synthesis and therefore imports each and every protein from the cytosol. Conversely, the nucleus supplies the cytoplasm with nuclear products, such as ribosomes, tRNAs and mRNAs. The permeability barrier of nuclear pore complexes controls all this exchange. This permeability barrier is an "intelligent" hydrogel with truly remarkable properties. It excludes inert macromolecules, but permits an up to 20 000-fold faster entry of cargoes, when these are bound to appropriate nuclear transport receptors. (in German) more