From the director
Great science rarely happens in isolation. Strong partnerships connect people, expertise and technologies to help ambitious research move further, faster.
Our feature story on a new discovery reshaping our understanding of how sugar is stored in cells shows the power of this approach.
WEHI researchers, working with collaborators at the University of Cologne and across Australia, uncovered how glycogen is regulated. For decades this area of biology was thought to be well understood. Now, the textbooks will need rewriting.
Made possible through a pioneering technique developed at WEHI, the research revealed ubiquitin – a protein that tags damaged proteins for recycling – can also control sugar storage. It’s a paradigm-shifting discovery that could open the door to new treatments for diabetes, heart and liver disease.
Elsewhere, WEHI researcher Dr Charis Teh is exploring bold questions at the intersection of climate change and immune health supported by a new fellowship. We’re grateful to the philanthropic vision of Pamela Galli AO, honouring her late husband Lorenzo, for her support.
