Rare diseases affect 1 in 2,000 people which means over 350,000–400,000 Bulgarians and at least 30 million Europeans. To date, 7,000–8,000 rare diseases have been identified, the majority of which are of unknown origin, and over 90 per cent of which have no treatment. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases is of paramount importance for medical science and human health. A diagram comparing the effect of normal histone H1.4 and its mutated form on an array of nucleosomes. Every human cell contains 30 million nucleosomes (the basic building blocks of chromatin), and each of these consists of four core proteins around which the DNA is wound. The DNA is represented by blue lines wound around the four proteins (grey circles). The individual [...]

Prof. Dr. Penka Petrova took part in a scientific delegation to Heidelberg which discussed future partnerships, the training of young researchers and access to Europe’s leading infrastructure in the field of life sciences. In September, a group of Bulgarian scientists visited the EMBL headquarters in Heidelberg. During the visit, the participants were introduced to the organisation’s wide range of scientific research, infrastructure resources and technological capabilities, with a particular focus on genomics, molecular systems biology and modern research infrastructure. The programme provided an opportunity for direct dialogue with EMBL scientists, the exchange of expert knowledge and the discussion of prospects for expanding scientific collaboration. The delegation included representatives from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Medical University of Varna, the Medical University of Pleven and [...]