Serial multiplex immunofluorescence microscopy platform with integrated microfluidics

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 576659772

Chronic kidney diseases affect more than ten percent of the global population. Despite intensive research efforts, effective therapies are still lacking, which is due in part to an insufficient understanding of the disease-causing processes within the tissue. A paradigm shift toward endotype-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies aims to address this problem. Rather than relying on external disease characteristics, this approach focuses on the underlying biological mechanisms within the affected tissues. A critical prerequisite for this is the ability to spatially and precisely capture disease-relevant changes at the cellular level. At the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, key methodological and conceptual foundations for endotyping have been established in recent years. The applicants have developed innovative imaging techniques for clinically relevant questions and demonstrated their expertise in high-resolution spatial tissue analysis. These efforts are complemented by novel imaging modalities and the use of AI-supported evaluation methods. In parallel, a robust biosample infrastructure has been established, systematically linked to clinical and molecular data. This includes central biobanks and registries such as HERO, the GN registry, and ERCB. These resources contain well-characterized patient samples across various stages of disease and serve as a crucial foundation for the identification and validation of disease-specific endotypes. The use of these samples in combination with high-dimensional imaging technologies opens new avenues for translational research. To implement this scientific program, a platform for multiplex tissue analysis is required. The microscopy unit applied for enables high-resolution, non-destructive visualization of numerous proteins in tissue samples, including subcellular localization. Both patient biopsies and tissues from model organisms can be analyzed, using commercial as well as custom-generated antibodies without the need for prior modification. The platform offers high flexibility, scalability, and throughput capacity, and allows for the analysis of large tissue areas. The planned infrastructure will functionally complement existing endotyping programs and allow the approach to be scaled to larger sample numbers and additional disease entities. Moreover, it will be of high relevance for other areas of research. The combination of existing expertise, well-established cohorts, and state-of-the-art multiplex technology provides an ideal foundation for precise, patient-oriented tissue analysis at the highest level.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Serielle Multiplex-Immunfluoreszenz-Mikroskopie-Plattform mit integrierter Mikrofluidik
• Instrumentation Group: 5042 Mikroskope für Hochdurchsatz und Screening
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Tobias B. Huber