overview of the focal point programme "biochemistry of stem cells"

Stem cell research is central to our understanding how human life develops as well as leads us to the discovery of novel drugs using stem-cell based disease models and cellular therapies in regenerative medicine. Cellular reprogramming of somatic cells to induced, pluripotent stem (iPS) cells as well as direct cell transdifferentiations using combinations of transcription factors are the latest developments in these directions.

We predict that in the near future a strong demand of educated biochemists with  backgrounds in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine will find their places in basic research, medical research institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

This demands in turn an advanced interdisciplinary educational approach starting in the field of chemistry of small molecules, bioinformatics of nucleic acids and protein networks, biochemistry of transcription factors, genetics and epigenetics, systems biology as well as nanotechnology and material sciences combined with molecular developmental and stem cell biology training.

Mitglieder des Schwerpunktes

Prof. Dr. Holm Zähres Anatomie holm.zaehres@rub.de Speaker of the focal point
Prof. Dr. Rolf Heumann Biochemie rolf.heumann@rub.de Vice speaker of the focal point
Prof. Dr. Beate Brand-Saberi Anatomie beate.brand-saberi@rub.de  
Prof. Dr. Thomas Dittmar Immunologie thomas.dittmar@uni-wh.de  
Prof. Dr. Andreas Faissner Molekulare Neurobiologie andreas.faissner@rub.de  
Prof. Dr. Bernd Giebel Transfusionsmedizin bernd.giebel@uk-essen.de  
Dr. Markus Napirei Anatomie markus.napirei@rub.de  
Dr. Jochen Salber Experimentelle Chirurgie jochen.salber@ruhr-uni-bochum.de  
Prof. Dr. Matthias Vorgerd Neurologie matthias.vorgerd@bergmannsheil.de  
PD Dr. Christoph Wallner Plastische Chirurgie christoph.wallner@rub.de  
Prof. Dr. Stefan Wiese Molekulare Neurobiologie stefan.wiese@rub.de

The RUB members of this focal point have strong connections within the Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia, what offers many additional options of laboratories to pursue stem cell research:  Stem Cell Network NRW