The BEAR & Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine present

“EUREKA!!!” - Stories of Discovery

November 1, 2019

Program

- Act I -

Andreas Ofenbauer

Inga Patarčić

Emanuel Wyler

Doris Wu

- Act II

Omar Benseddik

Annie Voigt

Emma Anne Harris

at the Pfefferberg Haus 13 - 176 Schönhauser Allee, ,10119 Berlin; Show host: Dyane Neiman; Music: Illay Chester

— CO-PRESENTED BY Moving Speaker, BERLIN SCIENCE WEEK, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, KCRW RADIO, Pfefferwerk Haus 13 -

STORYTELLERS

Dr. Andreas Ofenbauer

Andreas is someone curious who likes to explore. That’s maybe one reason he was always very much into science and so he became a molecular biologist. Berlin is a perfect playground to do that, to explore, to grow, not only on a professional level, but also on a personal one.

His research is focused on cellular reprogramming, a method used to change the identity of a cell (e.g. manipulating a skin cell to become a neuronal cell). In recent years, we’ve learned that cells which are already very specialized and committed, can be transformed and shaped into something very different. Usually such specialized cells have a more closed conformation of their DNA and, in order to reprogram them, certain parts of their DNA need to be opened by force.

He perceives that as a general principle of life, which can be applied to other things as well. For example, we, as humans, are often very much committed to something, until an external force might trigger an inner process of change. If we let go and open up, we might transform and get rewarded by identifying and pursuing opportunities that we would have been blind to otherwise.

His story will be about such a process.

If you want to learn more or even want to engage with Andreas, feel free to follow him on social media. He is also happy to collaborate on different projects or to get super nice job offers.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candyandyscience/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/astovebuilder

Inga Patarčić

As a scientist, I work at Berlin’s Institute for Molecular Systems Biology with major focus on gene regulation, disease and cancer biology and machine learning. Along with my PhD, I am trying to be active as a “genome hacker” (author and initiator of the my DNA R package, shiny app and a blog), science educator, and storyteller.
link: https://mydnas.github.io/myDNA/

As a climber, I am a member of many climbing communities across Europe: Croatian big-wall community, Berlin's routesetting and bouldering community, and the global climbing community as an educator and writer.
link: https://www.instagram.com/ingapatarcic/

As a Croatian girl, my current base camp is set in Berlin. Though, Europe is my home. :D https://ingapa.github.io/online-cv/

Inga’s Story :”Bitter-Sweet Taste of Science”

Dr. Emanuel Wyler

Emanuel is working as a scientist at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, in the institute for medical systems biology. He is trying to better understand virus infections of human cells by poking through huge amounts of data.

Emanuel’s Story :”A Moment of Clarity in the Fog of Biology”

Omar Benseddik

Omar is not a fan of bios, but he'd like to share with you that he dislocated his shoulders a total of 9 times.

There's this time he threw a javelin and it snapped. This other time, he was swimming and playing waterpolo, and it snapped again.

The next time, he was wrestling with his friend at the beach and his shoulder left the wrestling match.

Want to hear the most ridiculous ones?

Once he was stretching during econ class, and his friend tickled his belly and the shoulder reacted negatively. More ridiculous? Sure! He was once stretching during his internship, sneezed, and the shoulder left its place ...

But hey, it's not always that bad. Once, during a motocross trip in the desert, he crashed and ended up in the middle of the desert with a dysfunctional arm. This other time, he was scuba diving, and during the warm-up session, the shoulder didn't want to stay in place.

The last time he did (and hopefully this is really the "last" time), he was trying to get stronger by lifting weights, but the weights ended up crushing him.

Hang on. Didn't you say 9 times? He doesn't remember the other one ...

All these little stories can give you an idea of what Omar is and does.

Annie Voigt

I asked myself „What is a bio“ and found the following answer tucked between the recesses of my brain: “That thing people read when they’re bored during the intermission, or possibly even while the actual performance of the Event-They-Were-Given-Flyer-With-Said-Bio-To is still going on.” In keeping with this long-winded definition, and it’s resultant absurdity of existence, one shouldn’t assume that I would attempt to indulge your bored-state of mind with some info-tainment regarding my life. I couldn’t be bothered, really.

So I asked my friends to do it. 

“Blissfully nuts!” ~ Denis A., who I met during a neuroscience workshop. I introduced myself by managing to sneak in “I went on a bike ride from Berlin to the Nordkapp” into the second sentence I said to him. How? I made him ask me about my last holiday, and he took the bait like a frigging pro. He then proceeded to google “north cup”. We’re dating now. 

“A comprehensive companion I would recommend to anyone interested in openness, kindness, curiosity and tenacity.” ~ Mario V., who I met on a fellow climbing/bouldering buddy’s flat party. When we were asked why we were acting so chummy together, we proceeded to make up an Entirely Fake Life Story, where we had met in Johannesburg, South Africa when we were just kids, meeting up in dark alleys to skate together. In a very non-fake way, he’s now one of my closest friends. True News.

 “Fast-paced, thrilling and superbly refreshing!” ~ Felix K., who, every time we meet up for coffee (my not-so-secret addiction) during lab work breaks, or post-lab hours, will say “There is no way you’ve got another crazy story to tell this time, less than a week has passed since we’ve last spoken!” and let’s put it this way, I’ve always managed to prove him wrong. He’s definitely one of the best discoveries I made during my time studying diabetes in Australia.

Comic Artist for @BotsAndBrainz and Travel Writer as @TheBotBeyondTheBrainz on Instagram. Check it out, in case you're still bored, and the intermission/my performance hasn't ended yet."

Annie’s story: “Riding Solo”