Quantitative Imaging of Protein and Network Dynamics

Coordinator:		Dr. Rainer Pepperkok
Institution:		European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg
Homepage:		www-db.embl.de/jss

Signalling and protein interaction networks in living cells are characterised by their spatial and temporal topology. Interactions are highly dynamic and can thus rapidly change place and intensity in response to external stimuli. In this way cells quickly respond to environmental changes necessary to re-programme the cell for its altered challenges. Therefore, a proper understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of cells and organisms requires a quantitative understanding of the spatial and temporal topology of interaction networks.
This subproject aims at the integration of the functional and biochemical information obtained in other projects of the IG Cellular Genomics into a living cell context. To this end, high-throughput microscopy in living cells will be used to determine the localisation and dynamics of the network components quantitatively. These data will then be complemented by the generation of dynamic interaction maps of the putative network components in living cells. Results obtained from different breast cell lines will be compared and correlated with the other parameters measured in the same cell lines and in primary breast cancer cell lines by other projects of the IG Cellular Genomics. Hence, we expect to obtain a better understanding on the network changes underlying different stages of cancer and finally provide clues as to an improved design of therapies for the curation of breast cancer.




                            





Additional relevant Internet link:
EMBL Heidelberg