Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

02/10/2026

We are hiring! Join the Comparative Medicine Core Facility at IMBA and the IMP as an animal caretaker 👇.

Apply to the animal caretaker position by 23 October: https://imba.science/pos2618

23/09/2026

“Jumping genes,” or transposable elements, were thought to stay confined to the cells they occupy.

But new research from the lab of Julius Brennecke at IMBA spearheaded by Maya Voichek shows that, in fruit flies, certain jumping genes can break out of their own cell and slip into developing eggs—much like some viruses move from cell to cell.

The researchers identified the small protein driving this process and found related proteins across many insect species and even in some viruses. The discovery blurs the line between transposable elements and viruses, with broad implications for genome evolution, virology and reproductive biology—and potential applications in future gene-delivery research.

➡️ Published in Cell: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)01020-201020-2)

📖 Read more: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/research-highlights/news/jumping-genes-leap-across-cells-and-generations

21/09/2026

IMBA has a new faculty member!

Peter Kharchenko will join the IMBA faculty in October 2026. His research brings together computational biology, single-cell genomics, and epigenetics to investigate cellular states in health and disease.

He already started recruiting students through the Vienna BioCenter PhD Program and its autumn 2026 call, and will also recruit postdoctoral researchers.

Read more: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/research-highlights/news/peter-kharchenko-to-join-imba-faculty-in-october-2026

Join his lab as a PhD student: https://training.vbc.ac.at/phd-program/

03/09/2026

We often picture a replicated chromosome as a perfectly symmetrical X.

But new research from the labs of Anton Goloborodko and Daniel Gerlich at IMBA shows that its two identical copies—known as sister chromatids—are not perfectly aligned. Instead, they are consistently shifted relative to one another.

The researchers traced this hidden asymmetry to the process of DNA replication and found that cohesin, a protein complex that organises chromosomes, locks the offset in place.

The discovery changes a long-standing view of chromosome organisation. Because sister chromatids act as templates for repairing damaged DNA, their staggered arrangement could also influence how cells repair their genome—and ultimately how they prevent harmful genetic changes.

➡️ Published in Science: https://bit.ly/4iLa7Yv

📖 Read more: https://imba.science/4xbB8Id

03/09/2026

People, methods, and questions shape life-science research. With that in mind, IMBA researchers had the chance to make their work tangible to students who may one day enter the field themselves.
The week-long program included a one-day visit to the Vienna BioCenter and brought together students from the AITHYRA Life Sciences School who have excelled in chemistry, biology, and medicine competitions, some of whom are already conducting research projects on organoids and primate behavior.
At IMBA, Helena Okulski from the Tanaka Lab, Kirill Salewskij from Tissue Culture Support, and Olena Kim from the Knoblich Lab showed how work on regeneration, cell culture, and brain organoids depends on very different kinds of expertise. Darya Kripkiy Casado and Nick Irwin from the Gregor Mendel Institute discussed their work in molecular biology and machine learning.
Across the wider Vienna BioCenter, Emilie Habetzeder and Semhar Araya led a tour of the campus and explained how the concentration and proximity of different kinds of life-science research in one place can translate into future roles in experimental, computational, and research-support settings.
We are grateful to everyone who supported the visit. IMBA believes that inspiring the next generation of scientists starts with creating opportunities for meaningful encounters and open conversations.
A big thank you to Mathematik macht Freude (MmF) and Dmytro Rzhemovskyi for making this inspiring initiative possible.

02/09/2026

IMBA introduces a new logo. The letterforms draw inspiration from the structure and boundaries of the cell, the basic unit of life that IMBA’s scientists study every day.

Read more: https://imba.science/logo

25/08/2026

We are hiring! Join IMBA, IMP, and GMI as Head of Molecular Robotics Genomics Tech Platform and Scientific Core Facilities.

In this dual role, you will establish and lead the newly formed Molecular Robotics Genomics team while simultaneously providing leadership for the broader core facilities and their technology platforms at the institutional level.

Apply to the Head of Molecular Robotics Genomics Tech Platform and Scientific Core Facilities position by 30 September: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/career-education/open-positions/head-of-molecular-robotics-genomics-tech-platform-and-of-scientific-core-facilities

25/08/2026

We are hiring! Join IMBA, IMP, and GMI as Head of Molecular Robotics Genomics Tech Platform and Scientific Core Facilities.

In this dual role, you will establish and lead the newly formed Molecular Robotics Genomics team while simultaneously providing leadership for the broader core facilities and their technology platforms at the institutional level.

Apply to the Head of Molecular Robotics Genomics Tech Platform and Scientific Core Facilities position by 30 September:

In this dual role, you will establish and lead the newly formed Molecular Robotics Genomics team while simultaneously providing leadership for the broader core facilities and their technology platforms at the institutional level.

21/08/2026

We are hiring! Join the IT department of IMBA, IMP, and GMI as an IT Application Specialist to develop, integrate, and operate the applications that keep our organizations running.

Apply to the IT Application Specialist position by 30 September: imba.science/pos2617