EXC 2067:  Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC)

• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas ; Basic Research in Biology and Medicine ; Medicine ; Neurosciences ; Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
• Term: since 2019
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390729940

The Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC) pioneers innovative methods for the multiscale and multimodal analysis of fundamental biological principles of heart and brain, disorders of which are leading causes of disability and death. By exploring disease-relevant properties of cardiomyocytes and neurons – energy-hungry excitable cells operating as networks in heart and brain – MBExC combines cutting-edge research at single observation scales (molecules, cells, organs) with an integrative perspective. Our multidisciplinary collaboration leverages complementary strengths and major synergies across and beyond classical disciplines, including artificial intelligence, to revolutionize our understanding of these vital organs and their disorders. During the first funding period, MBExC made significant advances in optical nanoscopy, cryo-electron tomography, X-ray, light sheet and ultrasound imaging, as well as in optogenetics. These developments bridged gaps between molecular, cellular and tissue scales, providing unprecedented insights into common and distinct mechanisms of the function and dysfunction of heart and brain as well as into their interaction. MBExC developed novel therapeutic approaches, recruited exceptional scientists, established new infrastructure, and trained over eighty early career researchers through the new Hertha Sponer College. In the second funding period, MBExC aims to establish quantitative multiscale physiology and pathophysiology of heart and brain, building on multiscale and multimodal approaches for observation, manipulation and functional restoration. Leveraging the research strengths established by MBExC and the Göttingen Campus, we will focus on common key processes of neurons and cardiomyocytes: mitochondrial gene expression, epigenetic regulation, proteostasis, Ca2+-signalling, Ca2+-triggered membrane fusion, and plasticity. MBExC will pursue the clinical translation of results, building on the University Medical Center, three German Centers for Health Research, the Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Optogenetic Therapies, and the Fraunhofer Institute. MBExC will disseminate results through open science, collaborations, and commercialization, as well as involve patients and engage the public. Interdisciplinary research training and excellent career development at the Hertha Sponer College will bring up a new generation of leaders in science. To further strengthen MBExC, we will recruit outstanding scientists in experimental biophysics, biophysical chemistry, computational biology, and network disorders, with diversity and equity as keys to successful and sustainable MBExC training and research. This comprehensive effort positions MBExC at the forefront of multidisciplinary research, driving transformative technology breakthroughs, revolutionizing our understanding of the heart and brain, and combatting the societal threat posed by their disorders.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Participating Institution: Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH (DPZ); Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung; Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung e. V. (DZHK); Standort Göttingen; c/o Universitätsmedizin Göttingen; Georg-August-Universität Göttingen; Universitätsmedizin Göttingen; Deutsches Zentrum für Kinder und Jugendgesundheit; Institut für Nanophotonik Göttingen e.V. (IFNANO); Max-Planck-Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation (MPIDS); Max-Planck-Institut für Multidisziplinäre Naturwissenschaften; Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Standort Göttingen; Fraunhofer-Institut für Translationale Medizin und Pharmakologie ITMP; Translationale Neuroinflammation und Automatisierte Mikroskopie
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Tobias Moser; Professorin Dr. Marina V. Rodnina; Professorin Dr. Claudia Steinem
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Tobias Brügmann; Professor Dr. Ruben Fernandez Busnadiego; Professor Dr. André Fischer; Professor Dr. Christian Griesinger; Professor Dr. Helmut Grubmüller; Professorin Dr. Jutta Gärtner; Professor Stefan W. Hell; Professor Dr. Hauke Sven Hillen; Professor Dr. Jan Huisken; Professor Dr. Stefan Jakobs; Professorin Dr. Sarah Köster; Professor Dr. Stephan E. Lehnart; Professorin Dr. Emilie Macé; Professor Dr. Axel Munk; Professorin Dr. Viola Priesemann; Professor Dr. Peter Rehling; Professor Silvio-Olivier Rizzoli, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Tim Salditt; Professorin Dr. Melina Schuh; Professorin Dr. Nadja Anita Simeth-Crespi; Professor Dr. Bernd Wollnik; Professor Dr. Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann