Erin Schuman explains how she solved the protein mystery of the brain

Gesellschaft besser machen

    • 30 min.
    • 74. episode

    The neuroscientist has been honoured with the Körber European Science Prize

    Proteins are the building blocks of our cells. This includes all cells, but it’s in our brain cells where the real magic happens: without proteins, we couldn’t learn, adapt, or form memories. But how does the brain get the right proteins to the right place in the nerve cells? With billions of proteins and thousands of interfaces for each nerve cell, this has long been a mystery.

    American brain scientist Erin Schuman has solved it. She has discovered that proteins are produced directly at the interfaces between nerve cells – and not, as has long been assumed, in the cell body. For her groundbreaking research, Erin Schuman has been awarded the Körber European Science Prize, which is endowed with one million euros. In the podcast, the Director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research chats about what inspired her to start a career in science, new developments in treating brain diseases, and why it's important to follow your passion in life.

    More about Erin Schuman and her work: https://koerber-stiftung.de/en/projects/koerber-european-science-prize/all-prizewinners/2024-erin-schuman/#s42448

    Artwork: Gesellschaft besser machen

    Gesellschaft besser machen

    Haben wir angesichts großer Trends wie dem demografischen Wandel, der Digitalisierung oder der Globalisierung noch selbst in der Hand, wie wir unsere Gesellschaft gestalten? Diana Huth trifft Menschen, die sich mit dem Status quo nicht zufrieden geben und sagen „Das können wir besser machen!“. Welche Ideen haben sie und wer steht hinter dieser Idee? Die Protagonisten stammen aus all unseren Themenfeldern und begegnen uns im Rahmen unserer Stiftungsarbeit, bei Veranstaltungen und Publikationen. Der Körber-Stiftungs-Kurz-Podcast - in weniger als 30 Minuten.

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