Welcome to the Collaborative Research Center 1348

The precise spatial and temporal organization of cellular differentiation, essential for organismal development and physiology, depends on the correct formation and function of cellular interfaces. These interfaces facilitate the efficient transfer of materials and information between cells, through the dynamic assembly of molecular platforms at the plasma membrane. Such platforms integrate external and internal signals and transduce mechanical forces, guiding development and ensuring correct responses to physiological and pathophysiological changes. The Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1348 focuses on understanding how these dynamic cellular interfaces are formed and how they control decision-making in cells and tissues.

We have developed a comprehensive strategy combining molecular modeling, structural biology, biochemistry, organic synthesis, genetics, cellular and developmental biology. This approach aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms governing cellular interactions and responses in individual cells as well as in multicellular organisms. Leveraging advances in high-resolution imaging, optogenetics, single-cell technologies, synthetic biology, and engineering, CRC 1348 aims to not only understand but also to precisely manipulate dynamic processes at the plasma membrane. Our goal is to provide a deep understanding of the molecular principles that govern cellular interface formation and function, setting the foundation for future efforts to recreate biological complexity from the bottom up.

Exciting seminar with Peter Dedecker about "Smart probes and instruments for multidimensional 3D imaging".
Click here for more information.

Unser Körper, unsere Organe und auch die Zellen in diesen Organen sind kontinuierlich mechanischen Kräften ausgesetzt. Diese mechanischen Reize werden von Zellen erkannt und in biochemische Signale übertragen, um den Organismus an ungewohnte mechanische Bedingungen anzupassen. Weil dies so ist, wachsen unsere Muskeln, wenn wir Sport treiben und der Astronaut verliert an Knochendichte, wenn er längere Zeit nicht den normalen Gravitationskräften ausgesetzt ist. Leider sind auch viele Erkrankungen auf mechanobiologische Prozesse zurück zu führen, entweder weil die Zelle einen Reiz falsch interpretiert, oder weil die Gewebemechanik pathologisch verändert ist.

Wie gelingt es aber Zellen, mechanische Reize zu erkennen und darauf zu reagieren? Welche Moleküle vermitteln die Mechanosensitivität von Zellen und wie lassen sich Kräfte, die auf der Ebene einzelner Moleküle nur wenige Billionstel Newton groß sind, überhaupt messen? Und wie können uns die Erkenntnisse der derzeitigen Forschung dabei helfen, neue Ansätze in der Medizin zu entwickeln? Diese und weitere Fragen sollen im Vortrag erörtert werden.

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How to get to the CRC 1348?

The CRC 1348 office is located in the Multiscale Imaging Center (MIC). Our seminars take place in the MIC auditorium.

• Arrival by public transport

  From Münster central station (Münster Westf Hbf) you can reach the MIC by bus in around 30 minutes.

  Bus stops:

  • Schreiberstraße: bus line 5, every 15 minutes from Münster Westf Hbf/bus platform B1 – bus line 11, every 20 minutes from Münster Westf Hbf/bus platform C1
  • Mendelstraße: bus line 2, every 30 minutes from Münster Westf Hbf/bus platform C1
  • P + R Coesfelder Kreuz: bus line 12, every 20 minutes from Münster Westf Hbf/bus platform C1

  (Status as of November 2023)

• Arrival by plane

  • Airport Düsseldorf (DUS): Several train connections to Münster central station (Münster Westf Hbf), travel time approximately 1,5 hours
  • Airport Münster-Osnabrück (FMO): Small airport, bus connection to Münster central station (Münster Westf Hbf), bus line S50, leaving every 60 minutes, travel time approximately 30 minutes

  (Status as of November 2023)