Research Profile

The important successes in implantation and transplantation medicine achieved in the last years have their base mainly on expanding of experimental knowledge. The TRR 67 intends to change this situation completely through the basic research oriented investigation and development of artificial extracellular matrices (aECM) for wound healing in skin and bone injuries. The TRR 67 focuses on acquiring knowledge about the significance of the ECM for the differentiation of cells and tissue regeneration und aims to development biomaterials based on this findings.

We investigate in the first line aECM from glycosaminoglycan derivates in combination with structural proteins (collagens) and expect, that especially the glycosaminoglycan derivates go into interactions with mediators that are part of the natural healing tissue. Variations in the construction of the aECM will enable us to influence the wound healing positively. Our aim it is to develop biomaterials that can operate in a self-organizing manner during the healing process.

The TRR 67 is divided into two research areas:

The Research Area A – Matrixengineering – comprises the predominantly material science-/chemistry-oriented subprojects including associated more analytical subprojects.

The Research Area B – Biological active profiles in cells systems and aECM-backed tissue regeneration – combine projects with cell biological and clinical orientation. The main focus here is the systematic cell and molecular biological characterisation of matrix/cell interactions in complex systems. We investigate mainly cell types that have intensive matrix contacts in skin and bones.

The Integrated Research Training Group „Matrixengineering“ adds training and skilling components for the doctoral students that work within the TRR 67. The offered modules shall prepare the doctoral students for their later independent scientific work and at the same time help to better connect the subprojects methodically.
The IRTG is integrated in the umbrella organization of the graduate schools in Leipzig: the Research Academy Leipzig (RALeipzig).