Heinze Group

Discoveries in medicine and biosciences are frequently stimulated by the invention of new scientific tools. One of these fascinating tools is fluorescence microscopy, today an integral part of life sciences.

Molecular Microscopy

Our group develops such tools that improve spatial and temporal resolution in multi-dimensional fluorescence imaging ─ from the single molecule to the whole organ
For whole organ imaging we interweave in vivo, in vitro and in silico concepts by combining two-photon intravital microscopy, light-sheet microscopy and computational simulations. Here, we can elucidate cell-cell or cell-vessel interactions underlying thrombopoiesis, thrombus formation or immune response. 

Research Goal

For the (live) cell single molecule imaging we combine high-resolution concepts of fluorescence microscopy with tricks from physics and material sciences. Here, we design and nanofabricate biocompatible thin-film coatings that can serve as modified microscope substrates for faster high- and superresolution imaging of biological surfaces. Suitable for live cell applications, this approach offers the fascinating prospect of observing individual biomolecules and their interactions to learn about the underlying cellular process.

David Stegner, Katrin G Heinze: Intravital imaging of megakaryocytes. Platelets. 2020 Mar 10:1-11. doi: 10.1080/09537104.2020.1738366. Online ahead of print.

Amich J, Mokhtari Z, Strobel M, Vialetto E, Sheta D, Yu Y, Hartweg J, Kalleda N, Jarick KJ, Brede C, Jordán-Garrote AL, Thusek S, Schmiedgen K, Arslan B, Pinnecker J, Thornton CR, Gunzer M, Krappmann S, Einsele H, Heinze KG*, Beilhack A*: Three-Dimensional Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy of Lungs To Dissect Local Host Immune-Aspergillus fumigatus Interactions. mBio. 2020 Feb 4;11(1):e02752-19. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02752-19. *corresponding author

Gorelashvili MG, Angay O, Hemmen K, Klaus V, Stegner D, Heinze KG. Megakaryocyte volume modulates bone marrow niche properties and cell migration dynamics. Haematologica. 2019 Jun 27. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2018.202010. [Epub ahead of print]

Hannah S. Heil, Benjamin Schreiber, Ralph Götz, Monika Emmerling, Marie-Christine Dabauvalle, Georg Krohne, Sven Hoefling, Martin Kamp, Markus Sauer, Katrin G. Heinze: Sharpening emitter localization in front of a tuned mirror; Light: Science and Applications; December 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-018-0104-z

Schreiber, Benjamin; Kauk, Michael; Heil, Hannah; Emmerling, Monika; Tessmer, Ingrid; Kamp, Martin; Höfling, Sven; Holzgrabe, Ulrike; Hoffmann, Carsten; Heinze, Katrin: Enhanced fluorescence resonance energy transfer in G protein-coupled receptor probes by nano-coated microscopy coverslips; ACS Photonics, March 2018, DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.8b00072

Stegner D, vanEeuwijk JMM, Angay O, Gorelashvili MG, Semeniak D, Pinnecker J, Schmithausen P, Meyer I, Friedrich M, Dütting S, Brede C, Beilhack A, Schulze H, Nieswandt B, Heinze KG. Thrombopoiesis is spatially regulated by the bone marrow vasculature. Nat Commun. 2017 Jul 25;8(1):127. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00201-7.

Current position

W3 Professor of Molecular Microscopy at the Rudolf Virchow Center of the University of Würzburg (since March 2020)

Research Experience

Education

 2002              Ph.D. in Physics (“summa cum laude”), graduation from C.-v.-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Germany

Awards

• Postdoctoral Fellow of the Max-Planck Society, Germany (2004-2005)
• Picoquant Student Award for the ‘Best Student Talk’, 7th international workshop on ‘Single Molecule Detection and Ultra-Sensitive Analysis in the Life Sciences’, Picoquant, Berlin, Germany, annually awarded  (2002)
• Otto-Hahn-Medal for the ‘development of high-sensitive methods for intracellular analysis of biomolecular interactions’, Max Planck Society, Hamburg, Germany, annually awarded for outstanding scientific achievements (2002)

Further training & research

• Research stay with Prof. Dr. Waxham at the University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX, USA; Research project: Establishing an instrumental platform for single molecule detection(2002)
• Carl-Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany, dept. semiconductor technology; Research project: Nonlinear optical properties of single CaF₂ crystals (1997-1998)
• Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas (ICCM), Telde, Spain, including a scientific ship expedition (one week), Atlantic Ocean; Research project: Fluorescence spectroscopy of Sea Water(1997)

Position

Member - Graduate School of Life Sciences    
Supervisor und Member of different promotion committees - Graduate School of Life Sciences/Biomedicine

Courses 

Courses can be found here.

03980151 Für Biomediziner Literaturseminar (englisch) WS 2017/18
03980160 Literaturseminar "Microscopy Journal Club" für wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter WS 2017/18
03980610 Seminar für Diplomanden und Doktoranden WS 2017/18
03984000 Grundlagen der computergestützten Bildverarbeitung und Analyse in der modernen Lichtmikroskopie WS2017/18
03984010 Bildgebende Verfahren in den Lebenswissenschaften WS 2017/18
03988160 Literaturseminar für wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter WS 2017/18
03988180 Einführung in lichtmikroskopische Untersuchungen mittels Fluoreszenz für Doktoranden / Diplomanden WS 2017/18
03988190 Analyse und Auswertung von 3D-Bildstapeln für Doktoranden/Diplomanden WS 2017/18
03988410 Fluoreszenzverfahren in der Biomedizin WS 2017/18
03990910 Molekularbiologisches Methodenpraktikum - Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum.