Cardiac tissue analysis system for calcium transients, force generation, and sarcomere length

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 575600770

Cardiovascular diseases represent the leading cause of death in Germany and frequently result from complex metabolic and genetic dysregulation. The development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies requires a close integration of molecular basic research, functional validation, and clinical relevance. It is at this interface that the Emmy Noether Research Group, led by Dr. Daniel Reichart at LMU Munich, conducts its work. The group focuses on the identification and preclinical validation of molecular targets in cardiomyopathies and aging processes—with a particular interest in novel therapeutic approaches such as base or prime editing and RNA-based modulation. A central methodological element of the group’s translational research strategy is the functional characterization of cardiomyocytes, both differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and derived from native cardiac tissue slices. To reproducibly and precisely measure contractility, calcium transients, and electrophysiological properties of these cells under physiological conditions, the group seeks to acquire a system that enables standardized analysis of electromechanical coupling in cardiomyocytes and cardiac cell networks. This system represents an essential methodological advancement for the group’s experimental work. The planned acquisition also aligns strategically with the newly established research center ICONLMU, which is dedicated to the preclinical investigation of cardiovascular diseases. ICONLMU consolidates existing expertise in molecular, imaging, and functional analysis of cardiovascular conditions within a translational large-animal research framework. In addition to state-of-the-art infrastructure for multimodal imaging (CT, MRI, PET-CT), interventional cardiology (catheterization lab, surgical suites), and behavioral research, ICONLMU will house a fully equipped laboratory area for molecular biology, histology, and cellular analysis. The requested system addresses a critical methodological gap: it enables standardized functional analysis of both native cardiac tissue slices and iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes—a crucial step for validating new molecular targets prior to application in large-animal models. As such, the system makes a key contribution to the international competitiveness of translational cardiovascular research at LMU and sustainably strengthens the scientific efforts of Dr. Reichart’s Emmy Noether Group within ICONLMU.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Analyse-System für Herzgewebe mit Kalziumtransienten, Kraftmessung und Sarkomerlängenanalyse
• Instrumentation Group: 5040 Spezielle Mikroskope (außer 500-503)
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Leader: Dr. Daniel Reichart