Life and Health - Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) University of Bonn
Life exists in complex structures, from the smallest molecules that interact with each other to the interplay of various organisms in ecological systems. Understanding the complexity of life is therefore one of the most fascinating research topics. If researchers decipher the mechanisms underlying life, this will provide the basis for a better understanding of diseases and the development of new therapies. In a lively research environment and together with the Cluster of Excellence "ImmunoSensation2", the Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life and Health" of the University of Bonn focuses on comprehending life - from the level of the tiniest particles to the interaction of complex systems with the environment. One of the main objectives is the development of new strategies to improve and maintain health.
Call for Applications
Transdisciplinary Research Prize "Modelling for Life and Health" 2025 - deadline: Dec. 15, 2024. Further Information here.
Call for Proposals
Call for Proposals: Transdisciplinary Research in Intercellular Communication and Functional Cellular Ensembles in the Tissue - Deadline: March 2, 2025. Further Information here.
Research Professorships of the Transdisciplinary Research Area
Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience
Prof. Dr. Dr. Dominik Bach
Dominik Bach establishs a new focus at the interface between neuroscience, psychiatry and computer science in TRA Life and Health.
Argelander Professorship for Organoids and Chemical Biology
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Elena Reckzeh
Elena Reckzeh combines chemical biology with organoid research to further develop the area of 'Construction' in TRA Life and Health's research profile.
Argelander Professorship for Organoid Biology
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz
Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz adds a new area of focus to TRA Life and Health's research profile 'Construction & Deconstruction of Life' with her expertise on lung organoids.
Our members
Our members are professors and group leaders of the University of Bonn and cooperating Bonn institutions from medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, nutrition research, mathematics, computer science and other fields.
Become TRA member!
As TRA member, you will have access to TRA funding and opportunities for networking beyond the borders of your own discipline.
Bonn Organoid Day - June 18, 2024
With around 70 participants and more than 40 active contributions (short talks and flash talks), the first “Bonn Organoid Day” has been a big success! Scientists of all career levels with interest in organoid techniques discussed about a wide range of application fields for research questions in many different tissues/organs (tonsil, kidney, skin, bone, gut, lung, brain, retina, adipose tissue and more). The program also included presentations on more overarching topics such as ethical frontiers in organoid research, state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, mathematical modelling or services provided by the cell reprogramming core facility. The event ended with drinks and more discussions during a nice barbecue and after the thunderstorms had finally cleared away, we could even sit outside.
Please save the date for the Bonn Organoid Symposium: 6 November 2024.
Observing the brain in extreme situations
Hertz professor Dominik Bach and his team want to decipher how the brain works and analyze human behavior in extreme situations. For this purpose, test subjects are confronted with simulated external threats, such as a bear attack, with the help of VR goggles.
Circuits for Survival - Inaugural Symposium on September 26, 2022
To celebrate the inaugural lecture of the Hertz Chair for "Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience", Prof. Dr. Dr. Dominik Bach, TRA Life and Health hosted a scientific symposium on 26.09.2022.
Interdisciplinary hands-on workshop “Machine Learning” March 19 + 20, 2024
Around 60 post-docs and doctoral students from the transdisciplinary research areas “Matter”, “Modelling”, “Life and Health” and the “Bonner Forum Biomedizin” (BFB) took part in this year's interdisciplinary hands-on workshop “Machine Learning”. At the two-day workshop, early career scientists gained insights into machine learning and its theoretical concepts. On the second day, presentations by Dr Maria Mircea, Dr Kim Nicoli and Dr Jens Tillmann provided insights into the application of machine learning in various research areas. The event concluded with a small networking session for mutual exchange about what the participants had learnt and their research.
Impression: Bonn Conference on Mathematical Life Sciences 2023
Bild © Exzellenzcluster ImmunoSensation / YouTube
Bonn Conference on Mathematical Life Sciences - a huge success!
More than 200 scientists discussed at the four-day symposium of TRAs "Modelling" and "Life and Health" as well as Clusters of Excellence HCM and ImmunoSensation2 the current state of the research activities and potential future development in the field of mathematical modelling in the life sciences.
David Fußhöller (ImmunoSensation/UKB) presents a short video of the event.
Clubs
Mathematical Life Sciences (MaLiS) Club
The "MaLiS" Club meets regularly to discuss ongoing projects around mathematical questions in medicine and life sciences.
Next event: Dec. 13, 2024
Bonn Organoid Club
The "Bonn Organoid Club" is a forum for interested researchers to exchange expertise and reagents on organoid models in biomedical research.
Bonn Organoid Symposium: Dec. 10, 2024
Spatial Biology Club Bonn
The "Spatial Biology Club Bonn" aims to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among Bonn scientists engaged in or exploring spatial-omics.
Overview on talks and events
Bonner Forum Biomedizin provides an overview about talks, seminars, workshops with topics related to "Life and Health".
Would you like to announce an event? Please send an e-mail to talks@uni-bonn.de.
Contact
Dr. Meike Brömer
Not one but two researchers at the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn are to receive much-sought-after Consolidator Grants. Awarded by the European Research Council (ERC), they provide millions of euros in funding for outstanding research projects. Professor Philipp Vollmuth is developing an AI foundation model that is expected to set new benchmarks for the use of AI in radiology, while Privatdozent Dr. med. Michael Sommerauer—who recently swapped the University of Cologne for Bonn—is researching the early detection of Parkinson’s disease.
Some sequences in the genome cause genes to be switched on or off. Until now, each of these gene switches, or so-called enhancers, was thought to have its own place on the DNA. Different enhancers are therefore separated from each other, even if they control the same gene, and switch it on in different parts of the body. A recent study from the University of Bonn and the LMU Munich challenges this idea. The findings are also important because gene switches are thought to play a central role in evolution. The study has been published in the journal Science Advances.
Immune cells are capable of detecting infections just like a sniffer dog, using special sensors known as Toll-like receptors, or TLRs for short. But what signals activate TLRs, and what is the relationship between the scale and nature of this activation and the substance being detected? In a recent study, researchers from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) used an innovative method to answer these questions. The approach that they took might help to speed up the search for drugs to combat infectious diseases, cancer, diabetes or dementia. Their findings have been published in the journal “Nature Communications.”
Our ability to see starts with the light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in our eyes. A specific region of the retina, termed fovea, is responsible for sharp vision. Here, the color-sensitive cone photoreceptors allow us to detect even the smallest details. The density of these cells varies from person to person. Additionally, when we fixate on an object, our eyes make subtle, continuous movements, which also differ between individuals. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now investigated how sharp vision is linked to these tiny eye movements and the mosaic of cones. Using high-resolution imaging and micro-psychophysics, they demonstrated that eye movements are finely tuned to provide optimal sampling by the cones. The results of the study have now been published in the journal "eLife".