Dr Kristian Franze

University position

Lecturer

Dr Kristian Franze is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.

Departments

Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Home page

http://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/staff/f... (personal home page)

Research Themes

Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Developmental Neuroscience

The Cambridge Neuroscience Community

Interests

I am mainly interested in the mechanics and optics of cells of the nervous system.

Using atomic force and confocal microscopy as well as a dual-beam IR-laser trap called 'optical stretcher' passive and active mechanical properties of nervous tissue and cells are determined and the interactions between individual neurons and glial cells and cell culture substrates of different compliance are investigated. Optical properties particularly of retinal cells and tissue are illuminated using self-built setups.

Muller cells act as living light guides in the vertebrate retina
Click image to view full-size

Research Focus

Keywords

mechanics

mechanosensitivity

AFM

neuromechanics

optics

Clinical conditions

Foreign body reactions

Injured peripheral nerves

Spinal cord injury

Traumatic brain injury

Equipment

Atomic force microscopy

Calcium imaging

Cell culture

Compliant cell culture substrates

Confocal microscopy

Fluorescence microscopy

Microscopy

Open laser systems

Optical stretching

Traction force microscopy

Collaborators

Cambridge

Kevin Chalut

United Kingdom

Nic Tapon

International

Luciano da F. Costa

Paul Janmey

Andreas Reichenbach

Key publications

Franze K, Gerdelmann J, Weick M, Betz T, Pawlizak S, Lakadamyali M, Bayer J, Rillich K, Gögler M, Lu YB, Reichenbach A, Janmey P, Käs J (2009), “Neurite branch retraction is caused by a threshold-dependent mechanical impact.” Biophys J 97(7):1883-90 Details

Franze K, Grosche J, Skatchkov SN, Schinkinger S, Foja C, Schild D, Uckermann O, Travis K, Reichenbach A, Guck J (2007), “Muller cells are living optical fibers in the vertebrate retina.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104(20):8287-92 Details

Lu YB, Franze K, Seifert G, Steinhäuser C, Kirchhoff F, Wolburg H, Guck J, Janmey P, Wei EQ, Käs J, Reichenbach A (2006), “Viscoelastic properties of individual glial cells and neurons in the CNS.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103(47):17759-64 Details

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