Saarland University Faculty of Medicine
Methods and Technologies
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