Dr. Jan Huisken (group leader)

"The overall goal of my research is the systematic study of developmental processes in living organisms by noninvasive biomedical imaging techniques such as optical microscopy paired with optical manipulation tools. My primary interest is the investigation of organogenesis in zebrafish with special emphasis on the function and morphogenesis of the cardiovascular system.
I believe that multi-disciplinary approaches are required to tackle questions in modern life sciences. With our background in physics, microscopy, and biology we develop custom optical imaging, manipulation, and image analysis tools to pursue research in the broad field of embryonic organ morphogenesis. We strive for a comprehensive solution by developing and optimizing all aspects of modern optical imaging from sample preparation to image analysis. An essential element of our work is therefore the collaboration with other scientists working in the fields of biology, informatics, physics and medicine."

Dr. Benjamin Schmid (Postdoc)

Michael Weber (Predoc)

"I am a PhD student in the lab of Jan Huisken and my aim is to gain deeper knowledge of the morphology, function and control of the cardiac conduction system. For this purpose I develop in vivo 3D optical mapping in the zebrafish heart using transgenic voltage- and calcium indicators and Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM). Essential parts of the project are the design of a SPIM system capable of recording the wave of conduction in the beating heart at high spatial and temporal resolution, the development of specialized software tools for synchronization, processing and analysis of the acquired image data, as well as the establishment of optogenetic tools for the real-time manipulation of the cardiac conduction."

Weber, Michael; Huisken, Jan
Light sheet microscopy for real-time developmental biology.
Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev., 21, no. 5, pp. 566-572, (2011)