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EXC 1003:  Cells in Motion - CiM: Imaging to Understand Cellular Behaviour in Organisms

Subject Area Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
Term from 2012 to 2019
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194347757
 
Final Report Year 2019

Final Report Abstract

Dynamic cellular behaviour determines development, tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Over the past decade, live imaging strategies have revolutionised our perception of cellular behaviour and emphasised their dynamic nature, a topic to which the ‘Cells in Motion – CiM’ Cluster of Excellence has contributed significantly at national and international levels. Based on its broad interdisciplinary expertise CiM has overcome several existing limitations in optical and medical imaging and has deciphered crucial aspects of cellular behaviour in organisms by analysing systems of increasing complexity. Central to the CiM concept has been the use and development of novel imaging strategies to optimise temporal-spatial resolution and specificity. Our vision remains to promote an interfaculty environment boosting basic biomedical sciences and clinical translation and their interaction using imaging as a common strategy to understand cellular behaviour, regardless of whether this is in cells or tissues, in disease models or in patients. To foster knowledge transfer and scientific creativity we have overcome traditional barriers between faculties by establishing seven new interdisciplinary and two new clinical translational professorships, and a unique Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre (CiMIC), housed in a new building, the Multiscale Imaging Centre (MIC), supported by WWU funding. Integral to our concept has been a new interfaculty educational structure (Careers in Motion Centre) that promotes gender equality and diversity, and includes a novel Master in ‘Experimental Medicine’ allowing medical students to enter into a structured PhD programme. This will continue to promote high quality clinical research and translation of basic science to the clinic. CiM has successfully and uniquely merged excellence at WWU in cell biology and molecular imaging and integrated interdisciplinary networks between the medical, natural sciences and mathematics faculties as well as the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine (MPI), documented in several coordinated national and European programmes. The cluster has been a prime example of a new interactive and long-term sustainable structure linking the participating faculties in research and education. CiM has, thereby, changed the research landscape at WWU and has created a unique academic environment that strongly enhances the national and international visibility of WWU in the field of natural sciences and medicine. It will continue to promote excellence in biomedical research in Germany by the establishment of new Collaborative Research Centres and research networks, supported by CiMIC, and exploiting cutting-edge imaging techniques to address fundamental questions in cell biology and their application to diagnostics and therapy.

Link to the final report

https://doi.org/10.2314/KXP:170112324X

Publications

 
 

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