Oncode Institute researcher Maximilian Madern has received the 2026 International Birnstiel Award for Doctoral Research in Molecular Life Sciences, recognising his doctoral research in the group of Oncode Investigator Marvin Tanenbaum at the Hubrecht Institute.
Max is one of six researchers selected from 109 nominations from institutions around the world. The annual award recognises outstanding discoveries by doctoral researchers in molecular life sciences.
Seeing individual ribosomes at work
During his PhD, Max developed a microscopy technique that makes it possible to observe individual ribosomes at work inside living cells.
Ribosomes are the molecular machines responsible for producing proteins. Several ribosomes can translate the same messenger RNA (mRNA) at the same time, but how they influence each other during this process was not well understood.
Using the new technique, Max and his colleagues found that ribosomes frequently come into close contact and collide. Their research showed that these collisions are not necessarily harmful. When one ribosome stalls on a difficult section of mRNA, a following ribosome can help it continue translating.
The researchers describe this process as “ribosome cooperativity”, providing new insight into how cells maintain fast and efficient protein production.
Maximilian Madern, Oncode Institute researcher, Hubrecht
Maximilian Madern, Oncode Institute researcher, Hubrecht
“This project started out as an exploratory idea and was full of unexpected, exciting discoveries. I'm glad that other people see it the same way,” says Max. “It was a great collaboration and really a lot of fun to explore the possibilities opened up by our new method.”
A second Birnstiel Award for the Tanenbaum group
Max's recognition also marks a milestone for the group of Marvin Tanenbaum. It is the first research group to have produced two Birnstiel Award recipients since the award was established in 2019. Sanne Boersma received the award in 2021.
“Max used his incredible creativity to develop new innovative approaches,” says Marvin. “Once he had these new methods in hand, he could re-examine important biological questions in protein synthesis and decay and make the discoveries he did.”
Marvin Tanenbaum, Oncode Institute investigator, Hubrecht
Marvin Tanenbaum, Oncode Institute investigator, Hubrecht
The six 2026 laureates will receive their awards and present their research during a ceremony at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna on 4 November.