Irene Waizenegger receives ÖGGGT Research Prize

Irene Waizenegger from the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) is awarded for her work in the field of cell division. At the annual conference of the Austrian Society for Genetics and Genetic Engineering on September 25, she received the 2500 Euro Research Award.

Irene Waizenegger, who studied biology in Tübingen, joined the IMP via the international PhD programme. In Jan-Michael Peters' research group, she worked on the molecular aspects of mitosis. In a recent publication in the journal Cell, she describes mechanisms involved in the separation of chromosomes. The precision with which genetic information is passed on from generation to generation is of extraordinary importance for the organism. Errors during mitosis are associated with the development of cancer. If derailments occur in the germ line, trisomies with severe malformations can result. 

The ÖGGGT Research Prize was established to honour outstanding achievements of young scientists in the field of genetics and genetic engineering at Austrian research institutions.

Original Publication

Irene C Waizenegger, Silke Hauf, Andreas Meinke, Jan-Michael Peters: Two Distinct Pathways Remove Mammalian Cohesin from Chromosome Arms in Prophase and from Centromeres in Anaphase. Cell, Vol. 103, Issue 3, p399–410, 27 October, 2000.