Research Area 3

Synthetic and Reconstruction Biology

RA3 will utilize synthetic biology approaches to reconstruct plant signaling and metabolic pathways in orthogonal systems and obtain a quantitative understanding of pathway architectures within and between cells and their surroundings. These quantitative studies are technically challenging to perform on a cellular level in planta due to the molecular complexity of highly interconnected, often multicellular signaling and metabolic networks and pleiotropism. Reconstruction of plant pathways in heterologous systems enables rapid genetic permutation and testing of genetic diversity of cellular components and their directed evolution on a scale/throughput rate that is not possible in planta. RA3 will implement novel genetic, molecular, and imaging tools and approaches such as synthetic switches, promoters, regulatory modules, dynamic and programmable synthetic gene networks, quantitative biosensors, microfluidics, and 2D/3D tissue printing to accelerate scientific progress. These data will be integrated with mathematical modeling (RA4) to complement and inform the in planta studies proposed in RA1 and RA2.

RA3 will transition from the reconstruction of individual pathways (molecular modules) via multiple pathways within a cell (cellular modules) to interactions of a cell with its surroundings (cell-interface modules). In the future, this work will be extended with the development and deployment of printed cell clusters, tissues, and organoids for the study of functional and architectural features emerging from signaling and metabolic networks.

Coordinators

Prof. Dr. Matias Zurbriggen
CEPLAS Matias Zurbriggen

+49 211 8115015

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Institute of Synthetic Biology
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

http://www.synthetic-biology.hhu.de/en.html

Prof. Dr. Markus Pauly
CEPLAS Markus Pauly

+49 211 8115680

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Institute for Plant Cell Biology and Biotechnology
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

www.plant-cell.hhu.de

Members

Dr. Xinhui An

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3

Prof. Dr. Ute Armbruster

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1, 3

Prof. Dr. Ilka Axmann
CEPLAS Ilka Axmann
Principal Investigator, Research Area 3,4
Dr. Cristina Marí Carmona

Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Area 3

Prof. Dr. George Coupland
CEPLAS George Coupland
Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4
Prof. Dr. Gunther Döhlemann
CEPLAS Gunther Döhlemann

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3

Prof. Dr. Oliver Ebenhöh

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4

Prof. Dr. Michael Feldbrügge

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 3

Dr. Pau Formosa-Jordan
Contributing Investigator, Research area 1, 3, 4
Prof. Dr. Wolf B. Frommer
Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4
Dr. Rubén Garrido Oter
CEPLAS Rubén Garrido Oter

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 2,3,4

Josepha Grewer

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 3

Dr. Thomas Hartwig
Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,3, 4
Dr. Götz Hensel
Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1, 2, 3
Dr. Alexander P. Hertle

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,3

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Hildebrandt

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3

Prof. Dr. Martin Hülskamp

Principal Investigator, Research Area 3

apl. Prof. Dr. Peter Jahns
Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,3
Dr. Tobias Jores

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 3

Prof. Dr. Stanislav Kopriva

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4

Dr. Steven Le Hung Cheng

Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Area 2,3

Prof. Dr. Martin Lercher
CEPLAS Martin Lercher
Principal Investigator, Research Area 3,4
Dr. Eliza Loo

Group leader, Research Area 2,3

Dr. André Marques

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 3

Dr. Shizue Matsubara
Shizue Matsubara

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,3

Benjamin Menn

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 3

Prof. Dr. Jane E. Parker

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3

Prof. Dr. Markus Pauly
CEPLAS Markus Pauly
Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4
Prof. Dr. Paul Schulze-Lefert

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3,4

Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Simon
Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4
Dr. Jędrzej Jakub Szymański
Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1, 3, 4
Dr. Elizaveta Terlova
CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3
Prof. Dr. Miltos Tsiantis
Miltos Tsiantis

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4

Dr. Uriel Urquiza
CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3
Dr. Thirulogachandar Venkatasubbu

Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Area 1,3,4

Dr. Yi Wang

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3, 4

Prof. Dr. Andreas P.M. Weber
CEPLAS Andreas Weber
Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4
Prof. Dr. Alga Zuccaro
CEPLAS Alga Zuccaro

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3,4

Dr. Weiliang Zuo

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 2,3

Prof. Dr. Matias Zurbriggen
CEPLAS Matias Zurbriggen

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4