All three projects aim to understand how dysregulation of BMP and TGF-β pathways, particular due to receptor mutations, is associated with human diseases, such as the rare genetic disorders Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) and Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (PAH). Focus areas are subcellular receptor visualisation, altered ECM depostion and mechanical force transition to chromatin structure (mechanogenomic code). Shedding light on these patho-mechanisms adds valuable understanding on important steps in endogenous healing and repair of the human body.

1: BMPingECM: The role of imbalanced BMP signalling in cellular biomechanics and its interplay with the extracellular matrix (conducted by C. Hiepen/P. Knaus in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam K. Blank/ P. Fratzl, advanced grant; October 2017)

2:ECM-MechGen: Alterations in endothelial cell mechanics affect nuclear morphology and chromatin conformation: the mechanogenomic code(conducted by J. Jatzlau/ P. Knaus in cooperation with Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics /S. Mundlos and M. Robson; kick-box seed fund; March 2018)

3:iPSC-GenEd: Visualization of the endogenous BMP receptor ALK2 in endothelial cells using CRISPR/Cas9 and induced pluripotent stem cells (conducted by S. Hildebrandt/P. Knaus in cooperation with H. Stachelscheid Berlin Center for Regenerative Therapies; kick-box seed fund; March 2018)