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 transdifferentiation 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 materials sciences combined with molecular developmental and stem cell biology training.

Members of this Focal Point Programme

Prof. Dr. Irenäus A. Adamietz irenaeus.adamietz@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Beate Brand-Saberi beate.brand-saberi@rub.de
Dr. Helmut Bühler helmut.buehler@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Thomas Dittmar thomas.dittmar@uni-wh.de
Prof. Dr. Andreas Faissner andreas.faissner@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Rolf Heumann rolf.heumann@rub.de (Deputy Head)
Dr. Frank Jacobsen frank.jacobsen@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Manfred Köller manfred.koeller@bergmannsheil.de
Dr. Markus Napirei markus.napirei@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Stefan Wiese stefan.wiese@rub.de
PD. Dr. Holm Zähres holm.zaehres@rub.de (Head)

The RUB members of this Focal Point Programme have strong connections within the Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia that offers many additional options of laboratories to pursue stem cell research:  Stem Cell Network NRW