How cells find the right partners

Researchers at the University of Freiburg find that affinity between cells can control complex developmental processes

04-Nov-2022 - During the growth and development of living organisms, different cell types must come into contact with each other in order to jointly form tissue and organs. A small team led by Prof. Dr. Anne Classen from the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies at ...

Rotating blue laser light reveals unimagined dynamics in living cells

Using a novel laser-scanning microscope scientists observe processes in cells changing within milliseconds

19-Apr-2022 - When cities transform into a colorful world of lights as darkness falls, it’s often only possible to estimate their contours, which depending on the perspective can draw the attention to key details or trivia. In fluorescence microscopy, biological cells are marked with fluorescent dyes and ...

Velcro for human cells

Researchers engineer cellular adhesion receptors that can be controlled with light

17-Jan-2019 - The ability of cells to adhere to each other and to their environment is the basis for multicellular life. Adhesion occurs via diverse receptors at the surface of cells that bind to specific ligands in their surroundings. Despite the importance of these adhesion receptors, there is a paucity of ...

Stem Cells Regulate Their Fate by Altering Their Stiffness

Doing More with Less

16-Jan-2019 - In adults, mesenchymal stems cells (MSCs) are primarily found in bone marrow and they play a vital role in repair of damaged organs. The transformation of a single MSC into complex tissue like cartilage and bone starts with its association with other MSCs in order to form microscopic clusters via ...

How to target a gene

Finding proteins important for plant development, DNA repair and gene targeting

08-Mar-2018 - All living cells have invented mechanisms to protect their DNA against breaks during duplication and against damage by UV-light or chemicals. A team of biologists led by Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Freiburg, Germany has now found that members of the RecQ ...

The main switch

3D-DNA folding provides important epigenetic mechanisms in the formation of cardiac muscle cells

23-Nov-2017 - During differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to cardiomyocytes, the three-dimensional folding of the DNA reorganizes itself. This reorganization of the DNA architecture precedes and defines important epigenetic patterns. A team lead by private lecturer Dr. Ralf Gilsbach and Stephan Nothjunge, ...

New receptor found on scavenger cells

How adenoviruses invade the immune system of mice

28-Aug-2017 - Adenoviral infections have a mild disease progression in healthy people, but it can be dangerous for immunocompromised people. If a patient is infected with the virus and gets a bacterial infection on top of it, it can lead to an excessive inflammatory response known as a cytokine storm, an ...

The role of the tunnel

01-Feb-2017 - The targeted incorporation of proteins into the membrane is a vital process for cell maintenance; these membrane proteins ensure the proper functioning of the cell’s metabolism, communication with its environment, and energy supply. Protein-sorting mechanisms ensure that membrane proteins are ...

When fat cells change their colour

The epigenetic enzyme Lsd1 plays an important role in maintaining brown fat tissue

01-Nov-2016 - In mammals, three types of adipose tissues exist. White adipocytes are mainly located in the abdominal and subcutaneous areas of the body and highly adapted to store excess energy. Conversely, beige and brown adipocytes are highly energy-expending by generating heat. A team with the Freiburg ...

Dancing Neurons

How synaptic connections in the brain force nerve cells to coordinate their work

06-Jul-2016 - A perfectly synchronized dance of neurons is what gives us the power to see, to hear, to smell, to move, to remember, and to reflect. But the choreography can only be successful if there is efficient communication among the dancers. This alone is reason enough to study the relationships between ...