Research Profile TRA Life and Health

The transdisciplinary research area (TRA) promotes scientific collaboration between scientists from medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, nutrition research, mathematics and computer science. In addition to the research foci already established at the University of Bonn in the field of life and health, new research areas are promoted under the program "Construction and Deconstruction of Life". To this end, we have established a Hertz Professorship for "Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience" (Prof. Dr. Dr. Dominik Bach). The area of "Construction" is strengthened by two new Argelander Professorships in "Organoid Biology" (Jun.-Prof. Dr. Elena Reckzeh and Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz).

Construction

This research focus area concerns the construction of reductionistic systems of living matter through the usage of stem cell technologies, gene editing, nanotechnology and biomaterials as well as semi-synthetic biohybrids to derive deterministic or self-organizing models of development and disease.
The Bonn Organoid Club provides a forum for researchers active in the TRA and other interested scientists to exchange information and views regarding the development and usage application of organoids in a wide range of biological systems.

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Deconstruction

TRA scientists utilize state-of-the-art technologies to study the immune and nervous systems and other complex biological systems of subjects ranging from simple model organisms to human beings. Immunologists and neuroscientists collaborate with systems biologists and mathematicians in the ImmunoSensation² Cluster of Excellence, which represents a primary focus within the Transdisciplinary Research Area.
Breakthroughs have been attained in understanding certain functions on the organism level through intricate study, but a general theoretical and scale-independent comprehension of these systems remains elusive. This TRA will be increasingly focusing its work on the nexus point of artificial intelligence, machine learning and life sciences, studying behavioral disease phenotypes on the basis of high-dimensional data of varying complexities.
Another key element in building predictive models of human disease is the integration of clinical, genetic, molecular, and cellular data by relying on mathematics and modeling.

Organoid from adipose tissue © Katharina Sieckmann

Bonn Organoid Club

The Bonn Organoid Club is a forum for biomedical researchers to share expertise and reagents for organoid models. One focus here is on technical aspects that are of interest to many scientists in this field. In addition, external scientists are invited to present their research on the topic of "organoids" to the Bonn community. The organizer of the Bonn Organoid Club is Dr. Florian I. Schmidt of the Institute for Innate Immunity and the “Life and Health” Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA).

Our next talks:

Dec. 05, 2023 4:30 p.m. Alexander Maas (Department of Otorhinolaryngology): In Ovo Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assays
(Location: Big (lower) lecture hall of BMZ1 (B013.1UG.303), Venusberg-Campus)

Dec. 12, 2023 4:30 p.m. René Hägerling (Charité, Berlin): 3D Histology using light sheet imaging and nanobodies: A new era of spatial phenotyping
(Location: Big (lower) lecture hall of BMZ1 (B013.1UG.303), Venusberg-Campus)

Interested to join? Please email TRA Life and Health or Dr. Florian I. Schmidt to register.

Mathematical Life Sciences (MaLis) Club

The "MaLiS" Club meets regularly to discuss ongoing projects around mathematical questions in medicine and life sciences, either at the Venusberg Campus or in Endenich/Poppelsdorf. Interested scientists from the University of Bonn and cooperating local institutions are welcome to participate.

Scientific organizers: Alexander Effland, Jan Hasenauer and Kevin Thurley

Next seminar: Dec. 1, 2023

Please contact Christina Fricke for further information.

Spatial Biology Club Bonn

Recent advancements in single-cell omics technologies have illuminated tissues' molecular and cellular heterogeneity, driving transformative insights into health and disease. The emergent field of spatial omics technologies is poised to build upon these insights, elucidating the complexities of life at all scales. However, this rapid technological evolution poses a pivotal experimental and computational challenge: deciphering life through the lens of spatially informed datasets.

This club will highlight the latest developments in spatial technologies, machine learning, and data analytics by invited speakers, workshops and meeting. As such, we aim to foster a collaborative environment for sharing and exchanging innovative ideas, techniques, and methods to Bonn groups who use or plan to use spatial-omics.

Organizers: Özgün Gökçe, Felix Meissner, Andreas Schlitzer and Dagmar Wachten

Next talk:

Nov. 28, 2023 16:00-17:00 Uhr Matthias Mann (Director at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Munich and Research Director at Novo Nordisk Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen): Technological developments in mass spectrometry-based proteomics and how to cure diseases with them (Location: Venusberg Campus, BMZ I, Lecture Hall)

Do you have further questions or would you like to meet the guest speaker? Please contact Prof. Dr. Felix Meissner.

"Modelling for Life and Health" Transdisciplinary Research Prize has been awarded first-ever

Prof. Dr. Thomas Schultz (Institute for Computer Science II, University of Bonn) and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Theodor Rüber (Clinic and Polyclinic for Epileptology, UKB Bonn) have received the "Modelling for Life and Health" Transdisciplinary Research Prize for their project on improved diagnostic approaches prior to epilepsy surgery.

The award of the TRAs "Modelling" and "Life and Health" is endowed with €120,000 and funds highly innovative research projects at the interface between mathematics or computer science and biomedical research.

Read the press release

Method Development Grant 2023

TRA Life and Health funds the following projects for development of novel, innovative methods:

Ulrike Endesfelder (Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology) - Revolutionizing Fluorescence Microscopy with Event-based sensors for High Temporal Resolution and Dynamic Range Imaging
Sebastián Dupraz/Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar/Dagmar Wachten (Institute for Neurovascular Cell Biology/Institute of Innate Immunity) - Rabid-Seq: a single cell methodology to examine true local intercellular interactions within the Neurovascular Unit
Thomas Becker/Dominic Winter (Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) - Systematic Mapping and Characterization of Protein Complexes by Complexome Profiling

Life and Health Research Prize 2022

TRA Life and Health wants to promote innovative research and transdisciplinary collaborations with the "Life and Health Research Prize" and has now awarded two projects, each involving scientists from different departments of the University of Bonn. Prof. Dr. Volker Busskamp (Eye Clinic, University Hospital Bonn) and Prof. Dr. Elvira Mass (LIMES Institute) want to establish organoid models of the retina in their project in order to be able to study diseases such as age-related macular degeneration in the laboratory.
The second award-winning project will investigate the relationship between the composition of the nasal microbiome and Alzheimer's disease. Junior Professor Dr. Marie-Christine Simon (Institute of Nutrition and Food Sciences) and Prof. Dr. Anja Schneider and Prof. Dr. Michael Wagner (Clinic for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry, University Hospital Bonn) were awarded for this.

Congratulations to the award winners!
Read more: University of Bonn press release