Christian Eckmann’s group studies post-transcriptional control mechanisms exerted in the cell cytoplasm to direct various cell fate decisions. Such translational control mechanisms offer unique advantages for regulation of expression patterns and early asymmetries and can provide an immediate response to adjust protein gradients and their distribution, especially at a time when the genome is transcriptionally inaccessible. Therefore, the group focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying translational control in germ cell development and early embryogenesis.

In particular, the Eckmann lab combines molecular, biochemical, and cell biological approaches with the power of the genetic tractable model organism C. elegans to understand relationships of recently identified RNA-binding proteins which seem to be organized into larger macromolecular protein complexes (e.g. germ granules or P granules). How these complexes are themselves controlled and integrated into cell cycle and cell differentiation is a key aspect of their work. Germ cell development is a common feature of all sexually reproducing organisms and understanding where, when and how translational regulation directs germ cell development is of utmost importance for the fertility of individuals and preservation of the species. Furthermore, similar principles of post-transcriptional control mechanisms are emerging from work on neuronal development and plasticity, emphasizing the importance and conservation of such regulatory mechanisms for the correct development of an organism.