Inverted multiphoton microscop

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: Funded in 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 418416446

The human liver is the target organ of different types of pathogens. Generally well known are hepatitis viruses and Plasmodia, the causative agents of malaria, which replicate in the liver. But also HI-viruses, causative agents of AIDS and bunyaviruses can infect and damage the liver. While viral disease can lead to fatal liver damage, the infection by Plasmodia is clinically silent. Our goal is to investigate the interaction of different pathogens with cells of the liver and the immune system within the liver to better understand their interactions in the liver mouse. In order to do so we have to upgrade our existing upright 2-photon microscope with an inverted microscope that allows imaging the liver in living mice under biosafety level 3 conditions. With this instrument we will be able to (i) image, (ii) quantitatively analyze and (iii) manipulate the interactions of pathogens and liver in vivo.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Invertiertes Multiphotonen Mikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 5090 Spezialmikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Friedrich Frischknecht