معرفی
Prof. Elena Conti serves as Director of the Department of Structural Cell Biology at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and holds an Honorary Professorship at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. Her research program investigates the structural and biochemical mechanisms governing RNA quality control and degradation pathways in eukaryotic cells, with particular focus on macromolecular complexes central to RNA surveillance.
Education:
- Chemistry degree, University of Pavia, Italy (1986-1991)
- PhD in Protein Crystallography, Imperial College London (1992-1996)
- Postdoctoral fellowship, The Rockefeller University, New York (1997-1999)
Conti's laboratory employs cutting-edge structural biology and biochemical approaches to determine atomic-resolution structures of protein-RNA complexes involved in RNA metabolism. Her work has elucidated the mechanisms of the exosome and deadenylation complexes, revealing how cells eliminate defective or obsolete RNA molecules. Current research examines the physical coupling between RNA degradation machinery and the translation apparatus, addressing fundamental questions about cellular RNA homeostasis.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2018-2024) demonstrates consistent focus on high-resolution structural studies of RNA-processing complexes. Her group has pioneered structural insights into nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathways, exosome-mediated RNA degradation, and the coordination of RNA decay with ribosomal function, with particular emphasis on conformational changes during RNA substrate processing.
Scientific Awards:
- Protein Society Hans Neurath Prize (US) (2023)
- Honorary doctorate, Aarhus University (DK) (2023)
- Laurea honoris causa, Rome University (IT) (2022)
- Gregori Aminoff Prize (2022)
- Elected Foreign Member of the Royal Society (2021)
- Schleiden Medal of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2019)
- Lumen Claro Prize (2017)
- Merrifield Distinguished Lecture of the Rockefeller University (2017)
- Weigle Lecture of the University of Geneva (2016)
- Chiron Lecture of Berkeley University (2016)
- Theodor Bücher Medal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (2016)
- Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine (2014)
- Elected Member of Academia Europaea (2014)
- Hans Krebs Medal (FEBS) (2011)
- Knight, Italian National Order of Merit (2010)
- Elected Member of the German Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina (2009)
- Elected Member of European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (2009)
- Elected to the Board of Directors of the RNA Society (2009-2011)
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2008)
- FEBS Anniversary Award (2007)
- Dorothy Hodgkin Memorial Lecture (2006)
- ELSO Early Career Award (2005)
- HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowship (1998-1999)
- EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship (1997-1998)
Conti leads a multidisciplinary research team supported by major national and international funding sources. Her group maintains extensive collaborations across structural biology and RNA research communities, with significant contributions to understanding RNA metabolism through structural approaches. The department provides mentorship for postdoctoral researchers and graduate students investigating RNA-protein interactions.
The Structural Cell Biology department operates state-of-the-art infrastructure including facilities for eukaryotic protein expression, biophysical characterization (ITC, SPR, AUC), and automated crystallization pipelines. This enables comprehensive structural analysis from complex purification through cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography, supporting fundamental research on RNA-processing machinery.
