Schuh Lab

🧬Why does female fertility decline with age? And can egg cells be rejuvenated🥚?
Find out in a new interview with Melina discussing her research on the biology of aging #oocytes.
#WomensHealth 💜
(Article in German)
ajour.ch/de/story/634...

Ovo Labs Awarded $100K to Advance Groundbreaking IVF Therapy in Lilly Grand Challenge The 2025 Lilly Grand Challenge brought together some of the most promising early-stage biotech innovators at Eli Lilly and Company’s global…

🎉Ovo Labs won the @elilillyandcompany.bsky.social x @nucleate.bsky.social Grand Challenge 2025!
Founded by Melina Schuh, Agata Zielinska & Oleksandr Yagensky to improve IVF success rates, Ovo Labs was picked from 450+ biotech companies. Huge congratulations!💜
🔗 nucleatehq.medium.com/ovo-labs-awa...

Last week, we enjoyed wonderful days on our #labretreat at Ringberg Castle by Lake Tegernsee, together with the Rink Lab and Lenart Lab from @mpi-nat.bsky.social. We explored science, hiked, did yoga, played games, and shared lots of laughter. A perfect setting to exchange ideas and connect. 🧠🧘‍♀️🎲

👉 Dive into our full review to explore these mechanisms in detail, compare strategies across species, and see how understanding protein storage in oocytes could open new paths for fertility research.
Thanks to @idajentoft.bsky.social for your great work on this review. (5/5)

But oocytes face another challenge: protein damage accumulates during the mother’s life. Proteostasis systems clear or sequester damaged proteins ensuring a rejuvenated egg. Failure here may explain age-related fertility decline, as long-lived proteins lose stability and clearance falters. (4/5)

Across species, diverse strategies have evolved to store proteins, from large filamentous assemblies to membrane bound compartments. These systems prevent premature degradation and ensure key proteins are available when needed after fertilization. (3/5)

As transcription shuts down in growing oocytes, the egg relies on maternally deposited proteins and RNAs to drive early development, until the embryo can make its own.
But how do oocytes store these proteins? (2/5)

How do oocytes prepare for life before life begins? 🧬
Our new review in Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology @annualreview explores how oocytes store proteins to support development and fertility. (1/5)
🔗 go.shr.lc/4o9hsk8

Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships: Expressions of interest can be submitted until 31 October 2025.

Director at Max Planck - a unique position! The Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships is open now and can be submitted by the 31st of October 2025. ➡️ mpg.de/directors - Please share the Open Call among potential candidates.

Feeling excited & grateful 🌟

Honored to receive the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough 2025 (Life Sciences) — for our team’s live ovulation imaging.

Thanks to Tabea Lilian Marx, Christopher Thomas & our lab!
www.mpinat.mpg.de/5118437/pr_2...
#FallingWalls #ScienceSummit25 #ScienceBreakthroughs

🎥 Our research made it into SWR Wissen, with our PhD student @tabeamarx.bsky.social sharing insights.
Definitely worth a watch! (Video in German)

Great honor to be nominated as one of the top 10 Falling Walls Foundation Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2025 in the Life Sciences. A big thank you to @ovarylab.bsky.social & @tabeamarx.bsky.social for their outstanding contributions, & to everyone else who helped move this project forward.

Our fantastic technician Kevin marked his 30th birthday 🎉 and of course, the traditional German „fegen“ (sweeping) ritual was part of the celebration. Cheered on by colleagues, he handled it with humor and a great attitude.
Welcome to your thirties, Kevin! 🧹🎂🥳

© Theodor Boveri Institut/Herr Dr. Brönner

This week, Melina gave the Theodor Boveri Award Lecture at the University of Würzburg - the university’s highest honor in #lifesciences. This lecture recognizes outstanding scientists whose work continues Theodor Boveri’s pioneering legacy.
Congratulations to Melina for this well-deserved honor! 🎉

Our PostDoc @debojitsaha.bsky.social recently attended a @cshlcourses.bsky.social & came back with new techniques and stunning images. This mouse E9.5 embryo, labeled with Raldh2 (red), Fgf8 (green), Msx1 (magenta), DAPI (blue) is just one example. #Fluorescence revealing the magic of development!✨

The startup Ovo Labs aims to make fertility treatments more effective by improving the quality of human egg cells. More about the MPI-NAT spin-off by our Director Melina Schuh @schuhlab.bsky.social, Agatha Zielinska, & Oleksandr Yagensky, in our INSIDE NAT article:👇
www.mpinat.mpg.de/5029307/INSI...

What an inspiring #NachtdesWissens @ndw-goe.bsky.social in Göttingen! Thanks to our amazing team, who made our research on oocytes 🥚 fun and accessible for everyone. Great to see so many #curiousminds exploring our science up close and joining in creative activities! 🖍️🧑‍🔬

Great to be part of this year's #NachtdesWissens in Göttingen 🎉!
Come visit us to explore oocyte research, try your hand at creative activities, and experience #science up close 🔬🧬

It was great having Mariia @schuhlab for her lab rotation within the IMPRS Molecular Biology Master Program. She presented her project, supervised by @ninaschweizer.bsky.social, in our large seminar room.
Congratulations on sucessfully finishing - well done! 🎉
#researchtogether #posterpresentation

We had the pleasure of welcoming RTG2756 PhD students from @unigoettingen.bsky.social to our lab for a hands-on methods course. Great vibes, curious minds, and lots of good science – we truly enjoyed having you with us! 🧪🔬 #PhDLife #ScienceTogether
www.uni-goettingen.de/rtg2756

Neue Erkenntnisse über den Eisprung Einem Forschungsteam ist es erstmals gelungen, den gesamten Prozess des Eisprungs in Follikeln einer Maus zu filmen. Was bedeutet das für die Fruchtbarkeitsforschung? Ein Podcast mit Tabea Marx vom Ma...

Our PhD student @tabeamarx.bsky.social is featured in the latest podcast episode of Forschungsquartett by detektorfm! She takes us behind the scenes of filming ovulation for the first time.💥
🎧 Grab your headphones & enjoy the story: www.mpg.de/24692341/neu...
(🎙️#Podcast in German)

New face in the lab! 😊
We're excited to welcome @palmrinmoy.bsky.social as a new postdoc in the Schuh Lab 🎉He completed his PhD in the Torres-Padilla lab @www.helmholtz-munich.de, studying early embryonic development. Now, he'll investigate long-lived proteins in oocytes. Great to have you here!

We’re proud to announce #OvoLabs, co-founded by Melina
@schuhlab.bsky.social, Agata Zielinska, and Oleksandr Yagensky. Building on decades of meiosis research, Ovo Labs aims to pioneer novel therapies to overcome the challenges of age-related infertility.

Looking back at #Zukunftstag2025, we’re still inspired by the curiosity & enthusiasm of the students! 🔬✨ From pipetting skills to microscopy & liquid nitrogen fun, it was an unforgettable day in the world of science. Thanks to all participants!🌟 #FutureScientists

Many congratulations to Jurgita on receiving the prestigious HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowship for her groundbreaking project on protein storage in mammalian #oocytes. Jurgita, we are so proud of you for this well-deserved recognition! Stay tuned to follow her exciting research journey! 🏆🌟

Early-career reseachers at one of our Max Planck Institutes.

🚀 Apply now 🚀

The new Max Planck #Postdoc Program offers a guaranteed contract of at least 3 years, targeted mentoring, and career workshops.

postdocprogram.mpg.de
#ScienceCareer #PostdocProgram

Fascination with science on #Zukunftstag2025! 🧬👩‍🔬 Today, we explored the world of #science with students in our demo lab – examining oocytes under the microscope, extracting DNA, practicing pipetting, and even dipping gummybears in liquid nitrogen! 🧪 A day full of discoveries!

Lion Timm is not only our institute’s first Sustainability Officer but also a valuable member of our lab team! Check out how he’s saving electricity and reducing waste with some cool, simple measures. #sustainability @mpi-nat.bsky.social 💚

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Vanessa Hindmarsh as our new #ScientificManager! With a PhD in Molecular Medicine and experience in digital marketing & e-commerce, she will support Melina and manage our social media presence to share more about our work. Stay tuned for lab updates! 🔬🧬