ERC Consolidator Grant for Shotaro Otsuka

Bild: Max Perutz Labs/Max Kropitz - Perutz group leader Shotaro Otsuka has received one of the most prestigious awards for researchers in Europe - the ERC Consolidator Grant. The total funding of €2 million over 5 years recognizes both Shotaro's past achievements and future potential. The Otsuka lab is investigating the inter-organelle communication between the endoplasmic reticulum and the nucleus. The project "conNEctoeR" aims to understand the structure and function of membrane connections that link the nucleus to the endoplasmic reticulum. To fulfil their function, eukaryotic cells are packed with highly specialized organelles. Communication between these organelles is important for the proper function of the cell. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER), as the site of synthesis and turnover of most lipids and membrane proteins, plays a key role in inter-organelle communication.