GSC 203:  Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT)

Subject Area Medicine
Term from 2007 to 2019
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 39052126
 

Final Report

Final Report Year 2019

Final Report Abstract

The Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT) is a joint initiative of clinical, biological, and engineering sciences in the field of regenerative medicine. Its central goal is to provide the scientific basis for promoting endogenous tissue regeneration to combat acute and chronic diseases. This challenges traditional educational concepts since it requires the integration of cells, drugs and technical products into successful therapeutic approaches. Engineers need to understand biological mechanisms, biologists need a technical background and clinicians need basic biological and biomaterial knowledge. The key research targets of the BSRT are (1) the analysis of genomes and their functional interpretation; (2) a profound understanding of cell biology, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions; (3) the development of skills for the functional assessment and manipulation of both cells and their environment (extracellular matrix, biomaterial scaffolds, molecular and mechanical boundary conditions) to foster regenerative cascades and (4) to develop an understanding of the biological deficits in regeneration in clinically demanding situations. Advances in the fields of cell biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, biomaterials, bioengineering, mechano-biology, in vivo imaging and bio-informatics have helped to make significant progress in the realisation of advanced therapies that enable enhancement of the endogenous repair processes in patients suffering from injury and degenerative diseases and to avoid long-term pharmacological treatment. Enabling advanced therapies requires a multidisciplinary approach and competences in various disciplines. Hence, with the help of the DFG funding, the BSRT has been able to develop and continuously improve a structural concept that addresses the interdisciplinary challenges of regenerative therapy research and is characterized by four main measures: 1 The interdisciplinary doctoral programme, which was established in the first funding period of the BSRT and has now been running very successfully for twelve years. 2 The Clinician Scientist programme that has been expanded across the whole Charité and which has been quoted as role model by the DFG “Senatskommission für Klinische Forschung”. 3 A dedicated PostDoc programme with special educational features that prepares young scientists for a future career in academia. We implemented a career track for outstanding junior researchers to establish their own independent research path early on with the support of the existing expertise in regenerative medicine in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. 4 The BioThinking programme, a new way of scientific communication and team building that we developed jointly with the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI). This BioThinking programme enables inter- and trans-disciplinary research in a more structured and effective way by using coaching tools that have been adapted for the life sciences

Link to the final report

https://doi.org/10.2314/KXP:1699084963

Publications

DFG Programme Graduate Schools
Applicant Institution Freie Universität Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Participating Institution Fraunhofer-Institut für Zelltherapie und Immunologie (IZI)
Außenstelle Bioanalytik und Bioprozesse
Arbeitsgebiet Zelluläre Biotechnologie und Biochips (aufgelöst)
; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC)
; Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin (DRFZ); Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC); Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung
Wissenschaftspark Potsdam-Golm
; Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Genetik (MPIMG)
Spokesperson Professor Dr.-Ing. Georg Duda
Deputy Professor Dr. Hans-Dieter Volk
Participating Researchers Professor Adamantios Arampatzis, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Michael Bader; Professor Dr. Frank Bier; Professor Dr. Ulrich Dirnagl; Professorin Dr. Duska Dragun (†); Professor Dr. Peter Fratzl; Professor Dr. Rainer Haag; Professorin Dr. Regine von Klitzing; Professorin Dr. Petra Knaus; Professor Dr. Roland Lauster; Professor Dr. Andreas Lendlein; Professor Dr. Achim Leutz; Professor Dr. Stefan Mundlos; Professor Dr. Carsten Perka; Professor Dr. Andreas Radbruch; Professor Dr. Kay Raum; Professorin Dr. Petra Reinke; Professorin Dr. Birgit Sawitzki; Professor Dr. Christof Schütte; Professorin Dr. Petra Seemann; Professorin Dr. Simone Spuler; Professor Dr. Christof Stamm; Professor Dr. Carsten Tschöpe