Research-Initiatives

Cells are the basic building blocks of living organisms. They are surrounded and subdivided by membranes. Membranes are what make it possible for biological and chemical processes to successfully take place in the designated separate areas of the cell. There is a popular notion that membranes are fixed and rigid structures. In fact, this is not the case. Membranes are flowing structures that change their form, composition and function according to the varying conditions in the highly dynamic system of the cell. While there is a relatively good understanding of the static nature of biological membranes, the regulatory principles of changes in membranes and the dynamics of membrane systems in the cell still raise significant questions, including the resulting physiological effects of these mechanisms. The aim of the LOEWE DynaMem research cluster is to describe the molecular mechanisms of the intracellular membrane dynamics and their regulation in cells as well as to develop possibilities for modifying these dynamics. In addition to addressing diverse basic research aspects of these questions, the role of membrane dynamics will also be investigated in important processes such as aging, cell death, cancer, bone diseases, and parasitism.