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.
New Funding Opportunities
Exclusively for TRA members (or those who want to be): currently you can apply for the Transdisciplinary Research Prize "Modelling for Life and Health".
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.

TRA Hertz Chair for "Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience"
We are pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Dr. Dominik Bach as new Hertz Chair of TRA Life and Health at the University of Bonn as of April 1, 2022. The internationally renowned neuroscientist will establish a strong new research focus at the interface between neuroscience, psychiatry and computer science within TRA Life and Health.

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.

TeRAbytes - Strategies for Data Science and Data Management, 17/18.01.2023
This workshop will bring together researchers from across the Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs) who produce and deal with large and complex data sets and generate digital research products. We wish to stimulate an exchange of ideas and common challenges.

Bonn Conference on Mathematical Life Sciences
Mathematical modelling and analysis are nowadays essential for all fields of the life sciences, ranging from basic research to clinical application. To discuss the state of the field and potential future development, we would like to invite you to the
Bonn Conference on Mathematical Life Sciences
Bonn, April 17-20, 2023
Interested in Mathematical Life Sciences ?
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. Please contact Christina Fricke for further information!
Scientific organizers: Alexander Effland, Jan Hasenauer and Kevin Thurley
Next meeting: January 27, 2023
First TRA Workshop on "Data Science and Data Management”
About 100 scientists from the University of Bonn and all 6 TRAs met for the first time on January 17 and 18, 2023 at the Wissenschaftszentrum in Bonn to address the topic of "Data Science and Data Management" and exchange ideas on current challenges. In terms of content, the exchange was promoted by offering interesting scientific and service-oriented talks, posters and hands-on workshops. Results from this workshop will also be summarized in a white paper. The organizers were very satisfied overall and loved a very lively discussion culture, so that a follow-up event on this important topic is already being considered.
Organoid Club
The "Bonn Organoid Club" is a forum for interested researchers to exchange expertise and reagents on organoid models in biomedical research.
Next seminar:
14.03.2023, 4:30 pm Nicolas Gaudenzio, Inserm/University of Toulouse
(online)
High-dimensional profiling of the skin: from basic science to drug development
Image: Tim Kempchen
Overview on talks and events
Bonner Forum Biomedizin provides an overview about talks, seminars, workshops with topics related to "Life and Health".
Become member
As TRA member, you will have access to TRA funding and opportunities for networking beyond the borders of your own discipline.
Contact
Dr. Meike Brömer
"Miniature shredders" are at work in each cell, disassembling and recycling cell components that are defective or no longer required. The exact structure of these shredders differs from cell type to cell type, a study by the University of Bonn now shows. For example, cancer cells have a special variant that can supply them particularly effectively with building blocks for their energy metabolism. The results were published online in advance. The final version has now been published in the journal "Molecular & Cellular Proteomics."
There are two fundamentally different cell types in the brain, neurons and glial cells. The latter, for example, insulate the "wiring" of nerve cells or guarantee optimal working conditions for them. A new study led by the University of Bonn has now discovered another function in rodents: The results suggest that a certain type of glial cell plays an important role in spatial learning. The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) was involved in the work. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Nerve cells need a lot of energy and oxygen. They receive both through the blood. This is why nerve tissue is usually crisscrossed by a large number of blood vessels. But what prevents neurons and vascular cells from getting in each other's way as they grow? Researchers at the Universities of Heidelberg and Bonn, together with international partners, have identified a mechanism that takes care of this. The results have now appeared in the journal Neuron.
People with chronic epilepsy often experience impaired memory. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now found a mechanism in mice that could explain these deficits. The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) was also involved in the study. The results are published in the journal Brain, but a preliminary version is already available online.