Graduiertenkolleg "Intra- and Intercellular Transport and Communication"
Understanding cell-cell communication, cell polarity and cellular compartmentalization is one of the central problems in modern cell biology. The molecular details of underlying transport mechanisms, which lead to macromolecule sorting and therefore to specific localizations of proteins and lipids can nowadays be worked out by combinations of new techniques and improved techniques, which involve cell biology, biochemistry as well as genomics.
In Marburg five groups from the Biological and two from the Medical Faculty of the Philipps-University, three groups from the Max-Planck Institute and four junior groups have teamed up to establish a Graduate School. These groups agreed to work as an interdisciplinary consortium to address “Intra- and inter-cellular transport and communication”. In particular, research will focus on mechanisms underlying cell-cell interactions, establishment of cell polarity and intracellular targeting of proteins and lipids.
The proposals include projects on model organisms ranging from bacteria, phototrophic and parasitic protists, yeast, plant pathogenic fungi, Drosophila to human. For all these models, genomic data are available and tools in cell biology can be applied. The interdisciplinary approach is intended to lead to an exchange of techniques as well as model organisms. This will assure that the best model can be chosen for a given problem. And PhD students do not get stuck if their original model does not provide an answer to the biological questions addressed. To allow PhD students to choose the right technique or system they will have to participate in advanced training courses. These will be specifically tailored to allow them to use databases in connection with functional arrays, learn about specific advantages of all model systems represented in the graduate school and expose them to up to date techniques in microscopy and protein analysis. In their study programme students participate in seminars, lectures and workshops, are visiting international conferences, join an international leading laboratory for a period of three months and organize together with the group leaders an international meeting. The conditions for admission to the programme will be highly selective. Successful candidates have to demonstrate an excellent knowledge in biochemistry, genetics or other molecular disciplines in biology. It is planned that the students obtain their final degrees after a period of three years. Since individual group leaders are members in three different SFBs and in the International Max-Planck Research School, we expect a fruitful and mutual exchange between the 'Graduiertenkolleg' and the other initiatives in Marburg.
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Uwe Maier
Department of Cell Biology
Philipps-Universität Marburg
Faculty of Biology
Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8
35033 Marburg, Germany
Tel.:++49 6421 28 21543
maier@staff.uni-marburg.de
Secretary
Lucette Claudet
Department of Cell Biology
Philipps-Universität Marburg
Faculty of Biology
Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8
35032 Marburg, Germany
Tel.: ++49 6421 28 21547
Fax: ++49-6421 28 28997
claudet@staff.uni-marburg.de
