Prof. Jürgen Kartenbeck (in ch.)

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Mission statement

State-of-the-art microscopy, image/data analysis and support for all DKFZ scientific groups.

The advent of fluorescent proteins with which one can tag and follow bio-molecules in the living cell has overturned the long-prevailing view of cells as well organized, Swiss-clock like machines. Indeed, cells are very dynamic entities with proteins exchanging rapidly on cellular organelles and supra-molecular structures that in turn also show a complex dynamic movement. Observing and quantifying these dynamic events in (and of) cells as well as elucidating in detail the (co-)localization of differently tagged proteins allows one to gain deeper insights into the systems biology of living cells and tissue. Given that the involved spatial and temporal scales range from nanometers to tens of microns and from microseconds to hours, a clear need for adaptive tools that are not only sensitive and fast but also have a long-term stability is evident. To provide the necessary tools for this demand and to keep up with the rapid development of microscopy techniques, the DKFZ has established the Core Facility Microscopy (CFM). Currently, the CFM provides equipment and support for quantitative light microscopy and FACS.