Device for laser microdissection

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 447452855

The requested device for laser microdissection is to obtain high-purity samples from fixed and from living tissues without contamination in a semi-automatic manner. The samples including single cell samples will be characterized by miRNA, RNA, DNA sequencing (Institute of Human Genetics), by proteome and metabolome analysis (Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology) and by further analytical assays including qPCR and Western Blotting (in all applicant groups). In contrast to the isolation of cells from dissociated tissues by cell sorting, the isolation of samples / cells from tissue sections with existing integrity of the cell network, allows the detection of paracrine signal mechanisms and accompanying changes of the transcriptome, the metabolome and the proteome. Specifically, laser microdissection will be used to analyze tissue-specific miRNA-mRNA interaction networks, in particular of tumor tissues, intracellular signaling pathways of endothelial cells in murine and human endometrial foci, and epithelial and mesenchymal single cells and immune cells from patient tissues and in vitro 3D cultures. Using gene-deficient tissues as controls, laser microdissection will also be used to investigated the effects of the absence of brush cells in the tracheal epithelium and the expression profile of defined tracheal epithelial cells in wild-type animals; the device will finally be used for targeting cells that contribute to the wound healing process of the skin (including immune cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, and vascular endothelia) and to non-infectiously triggered inflammatory processes of the liver (hepatocytes and pericytes).

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Gerät zur Lasermikrodissektion
• Instrumentation Group: 4660 Mikromanipulatoren, Elektrodenziehgeräte, Mikroschmieden
• Applicant Institution: Universität des Saarlandes
• Leader: Professor Dr. Eckart Meese