Peter Lénárt

Dr. Peter Lénárt is a Researcher and Head of the Live-cell Imaging Facility at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, Germany. He holds academic affiliations with the Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB), contributing to programs in Genome Science (IMPRS), Genes in Development, Disease and Evolution, and Physics of Biological and Complex Systems (IMPRS). His career includes a Diploma in Biology from Eötvös Loránd University (1995–2000), a PhD at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) under Jan Ellenberg (2000–2005), and postdoctoral work with Jan-Michael Peters at the Institute of Molecular Pathology (2005–2008). He has held roles as Staff Scientist and Group Leader at EMBL before joining the MPI-NAT in 2018.

Dr. Lénárt’s research focuses on cytoskeletal dynamics during cell division, particularly in large oocytes. His work explores mechanisms of actin-mediated processes in meiotic divisions, including nuclear envelope breakdown, chromosome transport, and centriole elimination. Recent studies highlight actin’s role in organizing cytoplasmic lattices for protein storage in oocytes and the biophysical principles guiding surface contraction waves in meiotic maturation.

His publications span Cell, Elife, and Journal of Cell Biology, advancing understanding of oocyte-specific cytoskeletal systems. He leads a research group and oversees the Live-cell Imaging Facility, advancing imaging techniques in developmental and cell biology.