Marino Zerial

Marino Zerial is a leading academic and researcher in molecular cell biology, serving as Director of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and Honorary Professor at the Medical Faculty of Technische Universität Dresden. He obtained his biology degree from the University of Trieste (Italy) in 1982 and conducted postdoctoral research at the Institut Jacques Monod (Paris) and EMBL (Heidelberg). His work has focused on understanding endocytosis mechanisms, particularly the role of Rab GTPases in membrane fusion and organelle biogenesis. Zerial has pioneered translational research in liver disease, 3D tissue modeling, and drug delivery systems. He leads the Zerial Group, which integrates molecular biology, biophysics, and computational modeling to study cellular organization at multiple scales.

• Education: Biology (University of Trieste, 1982)
• Postdoctoral Training: Institut Jacques Monod, EMBL
• Affiliations: MPI-CBG (Director), TU Dresden (Honorary Professor)

His research interests span endocytic pathways, liver tissue biophysics, and molecular motor mechanisms. Zerial has received prestigious awards, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2006) and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2021). The Zerial Group collaborates on projects like LiSyM (liver cancer research) and ENDOSCAPE (gene delivery technology), emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to biological challenges.