Welcome to the Research Group Molecular Biophysics & Living matter
The Zieske group is an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin in Erlangen. We are an interdisciplinary research team with projects in the areas of biophysics and synthetic biology. Our projects revolve around unraveling the mysteries of living matter by building biomolecular and cellular assembly from the scratch using bottom-up approaches. We aim to decipher fundamental rules governing the assembly of living matter and how misregulation contributes to pathological disorders.
Emergence of Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Multicellular Systems
How do spatial and temporal patterns arise in multicellular systems through cellular interactions and the interplay between cells and their extracellular environment? We are interested in the fundamental principles governing multicellular interactions and into how the extracellular environment contributes to mulicellular assembly. Employing bottom-up approaches, microfabrication techniques and lab-on-chip systems, we aim to mimic and reconstruct key parameters of the extracellular environment to investigate their influnces on the assembly of multicellular structures.
Control and Emergence of Spatial Patterns and Forces at Lipid Membrane Interfaces
How can spatial patterns and forces be orchestrated and controlled at lipid membrane interfaces? Our methodology involves synthetic lipid membranes, purified proteins, single molecule and fluorescence microscopy. Through protein reconstitution at lipid membranes and optical manipulation, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms governing protein organization and the emergence of spatial protein patterns. Currently, we are focusing on biomolecular condensate analysis and liquid phase transitions at lipid membranes.
Contact
Research Group Dr. Katja Zieske
MPI for the Science of Light
Staudtstr. 2
91058 Erlangen, Germany
Research team leader Dr. Katja Zieske
"Our research unveils the role of membrane topography in shaping liquid protein condensates. Using cell-free approaches we reconstituted liquid protein condensates on microstructured membranes, uncovering the impact of membrane topography on condensate morphology and localization."
