Technologies - Development and Service Offers
The use and further development of state-of-the-art technologies enables the life sciences to continuously gain knowledge and answer new research questions. TRA Life and Health provides an overview of technologies and research infrastructures in the field of life sciences at the University of Bonn: Where can I find information on core facilities at the University of Bonn? What are Competence Hubs? Where can I network and exchange ideas? What support options does TRA Life and Health offer for the development of new methods? What events are taking place on technology topics?
Bonn Technology Campus - Life Sciences
The Bonn Technology Campus (BTC) Life Sciences offers a variety of the latest technologies and research instruments within the context of Core Facilities. These are each managed by experienced core facility managers together with a scientific director. Through continuous investment and further development, the Core Facilities are always kept up to date and thus offer optimal support for innovative research projects.
The costs and conditions for use are regulated in usage regulations. In the BTC Life Sciences, core facilities of the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Agriculture, Nutrition and Engineering are accessible to all researchers at the University of Bonn.
Competence Hubs and Technology Platforms
In addition to the core facilities, there are competence hubs in the field of life sciences at the University of Bonn that pool and provide expertise in particularly novel technologies. Due to their highly innovative character and specialized, often non-commercially available technologies, competence hubs are often created across institutes and faculties as part of research initiatives (clusters, SFBs). The use of technologies in competence hubs is therefore usually not regulated by a fee-for-service model, but within flexible cooperation models.
In addition, the University of Bonn hosts a number of independent technology platforms in unique technologies that are operated by an institute/facility of the university.
Exchange and Networking in Clubs
An exchange with other scientists is essential for the establishment, use and further development of technologies. Be it to exchange reagents and protocols, to find cooperation partners for a new project or to gain access to new technologies - science works through collaboration! That is why our scientists meet in topic-related clubs, for example for seminars, symposia or networking events.
TRA Life and Health currently supports three clubs:
- Bonn Organoid Club
- Mathematical Life Sciences (MaLiS) Club
- Spatial Biology Club
University of Bonn Research Infrastructure
The university offers a wide range of research infrastructures, technology platforms, museums, and collections, as well as services to support researchers in all disciplines.
3
faculties
16
BTC-Core Facilities
>650
active users
TRA Method Development Grants
Technological developments often lay the foundations for important new discoveries.
However, in most cases, the introduction of a new technology is resource- and time-intensive. The TRA Life and Health has been supporting such activities with grants for method development since 2021. The focus is on novel methods that have a high potential for new discoveries and are not yet used in Bonn. This includes both the development of completely new techniques and the introduction of novel technologies in Bonn that have been developed elsewhere. Cooperation with existing structured support systems such as the Bonn Technology Campus Life Sciences or other established service structures is always part of our efforts.
Method Development Grants 2023
Ulrike Endesfelder (Institut für Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie) - 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 (Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie) - Systematic Mapping and Characterization of Protein Complexes by Complexome Profiling
Method Development Grants 2021
Gregor Hagelüken (Institute of Structural Biology) and Paul-Albert König (Core Facility Nanobodies): Implementing methods for directed evolution of nanobodies to extend, restrict or switch host specificity
Eva Kiermaier (LIMES-Institute): Microfabricated devices to study cellular behavior
Eicke Latz (Institute of Innate Immunity): Establishment of a single-cell metabolic energy profiling (scMEP) platform using spectral flow cytometry
Jonathan Schmid-Burgk (Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology): Optical CRISPR knock-out screening by improved in-cellulo sequencing
Florian I. Schmidt (Institute of Innate Immunity), Identification of nanobodies against unusual targets from synthetic libraries
Felix Weiss (Institute of Innate Immunity), Cell-type specific proteomics from whole tissues as a discovery tool for intercellular communication
TRA Symposia "Technologies Drive New Science"
We regularly organise our ‘Technologies Drive New Science Symposium’ to publicise the results of TRA-funded projects, particularly in the field of technology development, to the Bonn ‘Life and Health’ scientific community.
Events and Networking
Researchers in Bonn benefit from a wide range of opportunities to learn about new technologies and methods and to network. This promotes innovation, the further development of research topics and also contributes to the joint utilisation of resources.
“Emerging Technologies” Seminar Series
The Bonn Biomedicine Forum (BFB), in cooperation with BTC and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation, supported by TRA, organizes regular “Theme Nights” on technology topics. You can find current events on the BFB website.
Mailing list for searching for reagents or methods
Are you looking for specific reagents or expertise on a method? You can send a request to the members of the BFB via the mailing list of the Bonn Biomedicine Forum!
Contact for the Topic of Core Facilites and Technology Platforms
Contact
Dr. Meike Brömer