The Research Training Group is formed by scientists from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, the Institute of Biochemistry at the University Kiel, and the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. The program is open to students with a diploma/master in natural sciences and medical students. The general topic of the Research Training Group is sorting and transport of selected proteins within the Golgi apparatus and endosomal compartments. In these organelles the decision is made whether a newly synthesized protein reaches its target via the secretory/biosynthetic pathway, or a recently internalized molecule (or bacterium) reaches its intracellular destination via the endocytic/phagocytic pathway. Missorted proteins may lead to loss of function in their target organelles, that may affect the well being of the cell and the organism as a whole. Therefore, the experimental approaches are related to diseases. By focussing on selected model proteins, basic mechanisms of the biogenesis of intracellular compartments as well as the balance of membrane transport between organelles and the interplay between cytosolic and membrane proteins will be investigated. The majority of projects addresses sorting and transport processes under pathological conditions in cells derived from patients or mouse models of human diseases (Braulke/Storch; Saftig/Schwake; Glatzel; Kutsche; Kreienkamp; Heeren), or cells infected by bacteria or in parasite cells (Aepfelbacher; Gilberger). New insights into the interactions between resident proteins of endosomes and the Golgi apparatus with components of the vesicular transport machinery and the actin cytoskeleton will be expected. A better understanding of cellular responses to endogenous mutant proteins or exogenous pathogens will enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Different experimental approaches such as ultrastructural analysis of cellular compartments, genomics, biochemistry, time-resolved imaging, and structural biology will be applied and improve our understanding of spatial and dynamic aspects of membrane transport or translocation. A detailed list of projects and research groups involved is given.

Students will go through a three year curriculum of academic as well as non-academic courses in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, infectiology, microbiology, and molecular biomedicine. The Research Training Group offers a continuous educational program with lectures, practical courses, seminars, regular report meetings and an international symposium every two years. The practical courses consist of several three-day hands training units attended by up to 4 students. The company OLYMPUS is associated to the Research Training Group and offers additional seminars on new developments in microscopy and practical courses. Seminars will be given by leading scientists and will foster a broad view on current topics of molecular life sciences. It is expected that each student spends 1-3 months abroad in a laboratory cooperating in the research field. The program provides a broad education, not just on the specific topic of the thesis, but also in research topics of the other participating groups. Active participation and engagement of the students in the design of this curriculum will strengthen their scientific independence and international competitiveness.

This graduate program has been started May 2008.

The scientific program of the Research Training Group 1459 is embedded in research interests of.

The Research Unit 885 (Neuronal Protein Turnover)  WWW:

Collaborative Research Center 877 (Proteolysis as a Regulatory Event in Pathophysiology)  WWW:

ALPHA-MAN  WWW: