In an exciting development for 2024, our colleague Dr. Birte Seffert embarks on a nationwide tour to meet with the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows across Germany. The Keeping Up with the Boost Fellows series aims to shine a spotlight on the journeys, challenges, and achievements of our Fellows. 

Sometimes you don’t need to travel far to meet a KT Boost Fellow. For the 2nd trip on the series, Birte hopped on the U-Bahn to Berlin-Dahlem to visit the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPI-MG).

Henri Niskanen, our KT Boost Fellow, joined the institute shortly after his PhD in Finland to work with group leader Denes Hnisz on the field of biomolecular condensates – think of these as tiny organizational “droplets” within cells that help regulate vital cellular activities.

Henri’s project explores a novel discovery: a short peptide – a killswitch sequence – identified during a previous study into a rare genetic disease, could be key to manipulating these condensates, potentially leading to innovative tools and treatments for various diseases.

➡ This is what the Klaus Tschira Stiftung Boost Fund is designed for: Testing the potential of novel, risky, and interdisciplinary research that might not get the necessary funding.

Henri gave Birte a tour of the institute, where they discussed molecular genetics, his move to Berlin, and his life as an experimental researcher.

What fascinates you in molecular genetics?

There is the observation of condensates in cells, also referred to as membrane-less organelles. Their importance, formation, and function are still not well understood. This is a debated field that gained a lot of attention and skepticism, especially regarding transcription and genome regulation.

How did you decide to come to Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics?

At the end of my PhD, I focused on how condensates are involved in gene regulation and mechanisms of cell biology. Denes was trying to link these. I’d met him before as the opponent for my PhD thesis. I told him I am interested in a Postdoc on studying condensates in his new lab, and he warmed up to this idea.

What 3 words describe your daily life as a postdoctoral researcher?

Busy, interesting, and independent.

Although we discuss together in the group, I feel I am very independent to do things at my own pace.

What is your advice to others, who are just starting their career, if projects and experiments don’t go as planned?

I usually plan that they fail and prepare a backup plan. I assume different ways of failure and think of counter strategies. That way I can progress quite fast. But if all attempts fail, then my advice would be not to get stuck with things that don’t work and take more of an industry approach where you discard projects if they don’t work.

The KT Boost Fund is a joint program of GSO and the Klaus Tschira Foundation for postdoctoral researchers in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. It offers flexible funding for risky and interdisciplinary research on the way to academic independence. Funding can be used to hire staff, buy equipment, or build collaborations – tailored to the research project.