News & Views

Our annual Inflammation & Imaging Symposium brings together scientists from several research networks and junior scientists programmes at the University of Münster with international guests. Over three days, they share new insights and ideas in inflammation research and immune system imaging. Here you can find pictures from this year’s opening day on 11 September 2023.

Sepsis is one of the most dangerous diseases and the third most common cause of death in Germany. Nevertheless, many people are unaware of the symptoms. On the occasion of the World Sepsis Day on 13 September, anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist Prof. Jan Rossaint informs about the disease. He talks about overshooting inflammatory reactions of the immune system, risk factors and health consequences as well as the right treatment and the current state of research. The podcast is available in German.

Researchers at the University of Münster and Bonn University Hospital identify novel gelatinase substrates involved in astroglial barrier function: In neuroinflammation, immune cells such as leukocytes cross the blood-brain barrier. One key to this is the gelatinases matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Until now, the substrates of these enzymes involved in the process were unknown. The results have now been published in Science Advances.

Introducing the Multiscale Imaging Centre (MIC): Our new research building brings together research groups from the fields of Medicine, Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Mathematics and Computer Science. On floor space of 10,000 square metres over three storeys, the researchers are using biomedical imaging to investigate the behaviour of cells in organisms. Three research groups gave some insights behind the scenes – from small to large.

A new research project headed by biochemist Prof. Lydia Sorokin from Münster University will be investigating functions of different barriers of the brain and how they change in stroke. The project will start in July and will receive 850,000 euros in financial support for three years from the German Ministry of Education and Research.

A research team led by chemist Prof. Bart Jan Ravoo and biophysicist Prof. Timo Betz describes for the first time how living cells can be reversibly deformed by specifically influencing the cell membrane using light. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

A team of researchers led by cell biologist Prof. Carsten Grashoff has succeeded in breaking individual proteins with a high degree of temporal and spatial control to examine their mechanical role. As a result, the team identified conditions under which two particular molecules become essential for the adhesion of cells in the body. The findings have been published in the journal Science Advances.

A research team led by the neurobiologist Prof. Christian Klämbt has shown: In insect nerve cells, there are structures that resemble the "nodes of Ranvier" in mammalian neurons. Together with the electrically insulating myelin sheath, these form a basis for electrical nerve impulses to be transferred very rapidly over longer distances. The study has been published in the journal eLife.

Science needs specialised researchers. For many research questions, however, cooperation with colleagues from other disciplines is just as important. Using the example of the Collaborative Research Centre “inSight” Prof Michael Schäfers, a specialist in nuclear medicine, provides insight into research practice in the field of inflammation and imaging. He also talks about “network life” and explains, for example, how a grant application for a research network is created and what role junior scientists play. The podcast is available in German.

The clinician scientist Prof Luise Erpenbeck and the computer scientist Prof Benjamin Risse from the University of Münster talked with the artist Herlinde Koelbl about multifaceted aspects of the profession of scientist. The event took place at the Münster City Museum on 3 February 2023 to accompany the exhibition “Fascination of Science”. The video is in German.

There are only a few devices of this performance class in Germany. At the University of Münster it is the first of its kind: the research group of structural biologist Prof Christos Gatsogiannis has put into operation a new high-performance cryoelectron microscope, which will also be used by many other research groups in Münster.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is providing funding amounting to 4.8 million euros over three years for the continuation of the Clinical Research Unit entitled “Organ Dysfunction during Systemic Inflammation” (CRU 342) at Münster University. The network has been investigating systemic infammation since 2020.

Through the “InFlame” Medical Scientist Programme, eleven postdocs from biology, chemistry and computer science are undergoing specialist training for natural scientists in medical research. In this interview, programme spokesperson Prof. Dr Petra Dersch talks about the important role of medical scientists, their career prospects and the contents of the career programme.

Influenza viruses are becoming increasingly resilient to medicines. Researchers at Münster University suggest a new approach to active ingredients to fight influenza. The polymerase of the influenza A virus depends on modifications through host cells without which the virus cannot proliferate.

A team of scientists headed by biologist Dr Sebastian Rumpf have been studying the regulated removal of neural connections (“pruning”) in the model system of the Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly. In a study published in the Journal of Cell Biology, the team show that in sensory nerve cells of the fruit fly, pruning occurs through mechanical tearing.

Dr Charlotte Teschers has developed a new method to produce complex, fluorinated sugars as part of her doctoral thesis in chemistry with Prof Ryan Gilmour. For this purpose, she used a specially engineered instrument which produces carbohydrates in an automated fashion – a “Glyconeer”. In this interview she explains why sugar chains are important in biomedicine and why producing them is complicated.

As the year draws to a close, we reflect happily and with satisfaction at our network’s activities over recent months. Our newsletter reports about our new research building and our Imaging Network and provides an overview of our activities in career development and science communication. We look forward to lots of exchange and new cooperations in the New Year. Enjoy reading!

Guess what’s behind the image that illuminates our glittery Christmas ball this year? Every year, it sheds light onto our research. Using imaging techniques, scientists make structures and processes that are normally hidden from the human eye visible and investigate how cells behave within organisms. We wish you lots of fun with the science behind the image and our templates for your decorations.

A study by psychologists Dr Friederike Hendriks and Prof Rainer Bromme shows that communication with groups beyond the scientific community can have positive retroactive effects on the scientific collaboration of researchers from different disciplines. The scientists surveyed were in the field of cell dynamics and imaging at the University of Münster. The study was published in “Science Communication”.

The Imaging Network at Münster University, as part of the NFDI4BIOIMAGE consortium, receives both state and federal funding to strengthen the national research data infrastructure. The goal is to develop methods to share and reuse bioimaging data across disciplinary boundaries. The Münster team led by Dr Thomas Zobel, Microscopy Coordinator, and Dr Markus Blank-Burian, from University IT, provides the technical infrastructure and develops concepts for user training.  

Many exciting research questions arise when computer science intersects with other sciences. In this video, Prof Benjamin Risse gives examples of how artificial intelligence is helping analyse the behaviour of ants and biomedical images. He also talks about how mathematics can be made accessible and what makes academia more attractive to him than business. The video is in German with English subtitles available!

Scientists from our university and their international guests discussed the latest developments in research on inflammation and the imaging of the immune system in Münster over the past few days. For the first time, the symposium took place in our new Multiscale Imaging Centre (MIC). Here you can find pictures from the opening day and impressions from the poster sessions.

Medical progress needs physicians who are active in both patient care and research. In the video, three physicians and a natural scientist talk about the specific role of these so-called clinician scientists in medical research, the joy of the profession and what is important if you want to pursue this challenging path. The video is in German with English subtitles available!

The University of Münster will expand its career support programme for clinician scientists who combine both clinical work and research – so that their patient-oriented perspective can help shape future medical care based on new research results. The German Research Foundation is funding the programme with more than two million euros.

A team of researchers led by biochemist Prof Andrea Rentmeister discovered that by using so-called FlashCaps they were able to control the translation of mRNA by means of light. The results have been published in the journal “Nature Chemistry”.

A boost for research with cutting-edge imaging methods: Through a grant from the German Research Foundation, researchers from the University of Münster, working with structural biologist Prof Christos Gatsogiannis, will receive equipment for high-performance cryo-electron microscopy. Numerous research groups will use these instruments to make molecular processes in cells visible and examine particles, such as viruses, in three dimensions.