Dr Jochen Guck

Interests

The paradigm that neurons in the CNS cannot regenerate is gone. While most research to date is biochemical, there are also physical aspects that need to be considered. We are developing tools to investigate axonal growth and to direct in a certain direction using physical stimuli. We are also investigating the importance of mechanical cues for normal differentiation and axonal pathfinding during development and after trauma. Specifically, we want to find out whether glial scars present after injury pose mechanical barriers to nerve regeneration. More generally, we are interested in the mechanical and optical properties of living cells and tissues using novel photonic tools to test their relevance and importance for biological function. Towards this end we could show that the deformability of cells can be used as a sensitive inherent marker for cancer diagnosis and sorting of stem cells and that glial cells in the retina act as living optical light guides (see image below).

Müller cells, the glial cells of the retina, function as living optical fibers and channel the light through the inverted vertebrate retina to the photoreceptor cells at the far side.
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Research Focus

Equipment

Atomic force microscopy

Calcium imaging

Cell culture

Confocal microscopy

Fluorescence microscopy

Immunohistochemistry

Microscopy

Optical stretcher

Optical traps