01.10.2024: Sebastian Glatt has been appointed as Professor of Systems Genetics at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna effective from the 1^st of October 2024. The distinguished geneticist and molecular biologist joins Vetmeduni from his previous position at the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB) in Kraków to help advance research in the field of systems genetics, RNA diagnostics and therapy.

After 16 years abroad, Vienna native Sebastian Glatt is coming home. The newly appointed Professor of Systems Genetics at Vetmeduni brings with him an extensive network of contacts and a wealth of experience in RNA biochemistry and structural biology. He describes his new place of work as a “sweet spot” for his future plans, as his research is complementary to the veterinary field. To date, Sebastian Glatt has channelled his expertise into researching neurodegenerative diseases and cancer in humans. But his “RNA-centric view” will also be a useful addition to animal medicine, as ribonucleic acid is a fundamental molecule found in all living organisms. Glatt’s research is aimed at uncovering the molecular and structural mechanisms in tRNA biology that regulate the production of all proteins. Changes in these central molecules play an important role in the development of a variety of diseases.

View from the RNA perspective

After studying genetics and microbiology at the University of Vienna, Sebastian Glatt completed his doctorate in the pharmaceutical industry, specifically at Boehringer Ingelheim Austria, where he developed an awareness for clinically relevant research and project management. Five years later, in 2008, he moved to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg on an interdisciplinary post-doctoral fellowship, joining the Structural and Computational Unit. In the following eight years, he made up for what he had missed while working in industry: the playful element of research as well as the opportunity to conduct research without restrictions, with sufficient time to solve complex problems, and with the ultimate goal of gaining fundamental scientific insights. In 2015, Sebastian Glatt moved to Kraków to take up a position at the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology at Jagiellonian University, where he not only led his own independent Max Planck Research Group but also served as scientific director and helped to establish the National Centre for cryogenic Electron Microscopy at the SOLARIS National Synchotron Radiation Centre. In 2020, Glatt was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant. Earlier this year, he was elected as a new member of the renowned European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

In his teaching activities at Vetmeduni, Sebastian Glatt plans to focus on the basics of systems genetics, RNA diagnostics and therapy, especially where human medicine is slightly ahead of veterinary science. His focus will be on the role of specific RNA modifications for clinical interventions and their significance in clinical practice. In line with his belief that you can only truly understand something when you can also explain the connections, he expects to generate insights on both sides of the lecture hall.

Note:
A detailed portrait of Sebastian Glatt can be found in the next issue of VETMED Magazine.