In its December meeting, the Board of the Einstein Foundation Berlin approved new research projects with a total funding of 13 million euros over the next six years, among them several Israeli-German cooperations. The funded projects cover a broad spectrum: from advances in quantum computing and innovative approaches in immuno-oncology and infection biology to socially relevant research on political participation and urban planning, as well as studies on mental health.
Einstein Berlin/HUJI Research Project
Quantum Computing
The research project Error Suppression, Correction, and Mitigation in Adiabatic Quantum Computation, led by Professor Christiane Koch of Freie Universität Berlin, together with Senior Lecturer Adi Pick and Professor Raam Uzdin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), aims to make adiabatic quantum computing more reliable. In this approach, the quantum system evolves continuously from an initial state toward the optimal solution of a complex problem, as encountered in physics, finance, or logistics. In contrast to digital quantum computing, where qubits are coupled in clearly defined discrete steps, the adiabatic process changes the system smoothly and gradually. To achieve a true quantum advantage—computational performance beyond the capabilities of classical computers—errors in the system must be detected and corrected. Until now, research has primarily focused on digital quantum computing. This project therefore develops error-correction and error-mitigation strategies tailored specifically to analog methods.
Immuno-Oncology
The German-Israeli research team led by Professor Johannes Huppa (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin) and Johnathan Arnon (Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center) is developing new approaches to improve T-cell-based therapies against cancer in their project, A Novel Preclinical Platform for Selecting T-cell Receptors (TCR) in Adoptive TCR-T-cell Cancer Therapy. These therapies are based on the adoptive transfer of genetically engineered cytotoxic T-cells (TCR-T-cells) which carry a tumor antigen-specific TCR to recognize and destroy solid cancers. In clinical practice, however, tumors may evade detection, T-cells may be weakened by previous therapies, and autoimmunity may arise. In addition, standard lab models fail to accurately evaluate the interactions between tumor and T-cells or inform clinical outcomes. This project investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms of TCR T-cell tumor recognition, focusing on the NY-ESO-1 antigen. It aims to develop a preclinical platform to realistically evaluate patient-derived T cells and diverse NY-ESO-1 – targeting TCRs, ultimately enabling safer and more effective therapies.
Bacterial Infection Mechanisms
Many pathogenic bacteria use tiny nanomachines called Type III secretion systems (T3SS) to inject proteins directly into host cells. How bacteria deliver the right proteins quickly and precisely is still poorly understood. The project Spatial Targeting of Secretion Substrate mRNAs to Type III Secretion Systems in Gram-Negative Pathogens, led by Professor Marc Erhardt (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and Professor Orna Amster-Choder (HUJI), investigates whether the mRNA of these proteins is specifically transported to T3SS to enable rapid secretion. Initial findings suggest that mRNA clusters near T3SS, allowing proteins to be produced on-site as needed. The project aims to identify the exact mRNA signals and bacterial factors that guide this targeted localization. Understanding this mechanism could provide new insights into bacterial infection strategies and inspire antimicrobial therapies that block infections without killing bacteria, thereby combating the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Einstein Visiting Fellow
Autism Research
The funding for Jackie Schiller, Professor at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, has been extended. Since early 2022, she has been an Einstein Visiting Fellow at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, working with Professor Sarah Shoichet and Professor Dietmar Schmitz on autism spectrum disorders. The project initially focused on the effects of changes in the protein Caspr2 on autism. During this work, the team made a surprising discovery, which they will now explore in the new funding phase. Together, they aim to investigate how learning complex rules leaves an epigenetic “fingerprint” that is passed to subsequent generations via non-coding RNA, influencing neuronal excitability and complex learned abilities. The goal is to systematically analyze these physiological markers of learning and their relevance for autism-related learning and behavioral traits, providing new insights into the cellular and molecular foundations of learning and inheritance with potential implications for future therapies and interventions.
Source and additional information: Einstein Foundation