The primary goal of the Priority Programme is to understand how intercellular junctions sense and respond to chemical and mechanical signals from their external environment and from the cytoskeleton and how they convert these signals into processes that instruct epithelial morphogenesis, differentiation and pathogenesis. Current participating scientists have established interdisciplinary, collaborative projects, ranging from the level of molecules to cells, tissues and model organisms, combining biophysical, biochemical, cell biological and physiological techniques.

All projects should aim at the following goals:

• identification of molecules that sense and transmit mechanical force and chemical signals at intercellular junctions, and investigation of pathways that mediate downstream signal transmission to the cytoskeleton and other cell components
• integration of chemical and mechanical signals by adherens junctions, tight junctions and desmosomes to regulate cell behaviour and cell fate
• understanding at a quantitative level how mechanical force is sensed at intercellular junctions and how it is transmitted into chemical signals, and conversely, how chemical signalling regulates the strength of intercellular adhesion
• advancement of biophysical and imaging methods to analyse force and chemical signalling in tissues

Termin: 01.05.2018, Registrierung: 24.04.2018
Adresse: DFG, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn
Kontakt: Dr. Britta Mädge, Tel.: 0228/885-2453, britta.maedge@dfg.de
Weitere Informationen: Ausschreibung