Biology: Publication in Nature

Centromeres are crucial for cell division and emerged early in evolution. A research team led by Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne has investigated how mutations have shaped the DNA sequences of centromeres over time. The researchers report in the scientific journal Nature how centromere DNA sequences evolve rapidly and extensively while retaining their function. Researchers from Tübingen, Karlsruhe, Munich and Sheffield were also involved in the study.