Methods and Technologies
Beside expertise in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology, the research groups participating in the graduate school provide a large variety of methods and strategies to study Ca2+-signals and their functional consequences with high temporal and spatial resolution:
- Measurement and control of intracellular Ca2+-signals: high resolution calcium-imaging and ultra-fast UV-flash photolysis of caged compounds
- Imaging techniques: Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, laser scanning and real-time confocal microscopy, 2-photon microscopy, Time-Lapse video microscopy, Total-Internal-Reflection-Fluorecence microscopy (TIRF).
- Electrophysiology and measurements of secretion at the level of single cells and single vesicles: Patch clamp technique, high-resolution membrane capacitance measurements, carbon fiber amperometry, electrical measurements of exocytotic fusion pores, elektroenzephalo- und electrocorticograms.
- Analyses of cellular ultrastructure: Transmission- und Scanning electron microscopy
- Protein-Protein-Interactions in-vitro and in-vivo: Biochemical methods, Multi-angle light scattering (MALS), Plasmon-resonance-transfer (BIAcore), Yeast-Two Hybrid system, Fluorescence energy transfer (FRET)
- Techniques for purification of recombinant and native proteins
- Protein structure analyses: X-ray cristallography
- Viral vector constructs and siRNA-technology: Gene transfer with Semliki-Forest, Adeno- und Lenti-Viruses into primary cells
- Quantitative single cell PCR
- Transgenic mouse technology
- Flow-through-cytometry & Fluorescent Associated Cell Sorting (FACS)
- Specific cell cultures: Primary cultures of neurons, chromaffin cells, endothelial cells, mast cells, cardiomyocytes, pancreatic beta-cells, T-lymphocytes, organotypic cultures of retina
- Pharmacological tests, receptor binding studies
- Mouse behavioral testing