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  • Prof. Christoph Schmidt
    • Motor proteins & mitosis
    • Cytoskeleton / microrheology
    • Cell biophysics
    • Microtubule mechanics & AFM
    • Viruses & AFM
    • DNA
    • Colloids and polymers / microrheology
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  • Prof. Jörg Enderlein
  • Prof. Ulrich Parlitz
  • Prof. Florentin Wörgötter
  • Dr. Iwan Schaap
  • Dr. Dieter Klopfenstein
  • Dr. Florian Rehfeldt
  • Dr. Thomas Kurz
  • Dr. Robert Mettin
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We study motors in several walks of life, starting from high-resolution single-molecule experiments with kinesins from Xenopus, Drosophila, yeast, and fungi, to the complex physical function of the mitotic spindle in cell division.

We are interested in the mechanical properties and active dynamics of the polymeric protein networks forming the cell cytoskeleton. Studying in vitro model systems of increasing complexity, mainly by microrheology, we strive to obtain a quantitative understanding of cellular materials.

We focus on forces in cells: how cells exert force, how they sense force, how force is transmitted in cells and how they chemically and physically respond to forces. We work with fibroblasts, bone cells, endothelial cells and stem cells and use fluorescence microscopy, microrheology and optical traps.

We use primarily atomic force microscopy to study the intriguing mechanical and dynamic properties of microtubules, which are biological non-equilibrium nanostructures with a multitude of functions in the cell.

With study the physical properties of amazingly simple, but still highly evolved virus particles, mainly by atomic force microscopy. Virus shells self-assemble into regular crystalline patterns of exactly defined structures which can withstand extreme conditions.

Nucleic acids carry genetic information, but are also "tracks" for complex motor proteins, and furthermore lend themselves to be used as nanoscale construction materials. We "play" with simple building blocks, such as tetrahedra, self-assembled from DNA.

Soft matter formed by colloids and polymers reigns in biology, but is also relevant as technical materials. We study the dynamics of colloidal systems, such as hard-sphere glasses or carbon nanotube suspensions, and of synthetic polymer networks, such as wormlike micelles, mainly by microrheology.

We spend considerable effort on developing and further developing new experimental techniques. A center role take optical trapping techniques and atomic force microscopy, as well as high resolution microscopy methods, single molecule fluorescence microscopy, and microrheology techniques.