Amgen Scholars Program
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Ali Ertürk

Prof. Dr. Ali Ertürk

Director at the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine LMU Munich Full Professor CEO, founder, 1X1 Biotech CEO, founder, Deep Piction

Affiliation

Helmholtz Munich, Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM)

Contact

Helmholtz Zentrum München
German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH)
Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1
D-85764 Neuherberg

Phone: +49 89 318 74-3234

Website: http://erturk-lab.com/
Website: https://twitter.com/erturklab

Research Focus

Title: Advanced Imaging of Cancer Metastasis in Whole Mouse Body

Overview: In the Ertürk Lab, we specialize in pioneering innovative techniques for tissue clearing and advanced imaging. Our cutting-edge methodologies have enabled us to achieve high-resolution visualization of cancer metastasis down to the single-cell level throughout the entire mouse body. This summer internship project offers a unique opportunity for students to become actively involved in our groundbreaking research.

Project Scope: The selected student will have the chance to gain valuable hands-on experience in multiple facets of our research, including:

  1. Culturing Cancer Cells: The participant will be involved in culturing cancer cells derived from patients within the context of 3D organoid cultures.
  2. Cancer Mouse Models: Students will become familiar with cancer mouse models that incorporate xenografts of the cancer organoids, gaining insights into tumor growth and progression.
  3. Tissue Clearing Techniques: You will learn about our state-of-the-art tissue clearing methods, which are instrumental in enabling the visualization of cancer cells throughout the entire mouse body.
  4. Tissue Sectioning and Microdissection: Interns will actively engage in tissue sectioning and laser capture microdissection techniques to isolate metastatic niches from various organs.
  5. Proteomics Analysis: Students will participate in the proteomics analysis of different metastatic sites. This analysis is vital in shedding light on the mechanisms behind cancer metastasis and chemoresistance.

The culmination of this research will involve integrating molecular information with spatial data to create a comprehensive metastatic Atlas that covers the entire mouse body. This atlas will serve as a valuable resource for the scientific community and enhance our understanding of cancer metastasis.

Required Lab Skills:

  • Precise pipetting skills
  • Willingness to work with animal tissues
  • Fundamental knowledge of cell biology

Additional Lab Skills:

  • Basic proficiency in microscopy techniques
  • Experience with cell culture methods

This internship offers a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in a cutting-edge research environment and make significant contributions to our ongoing efforts in understanding cancer metastasis. We look forward to welcoming motivated individuals who are passionate about advancing our knowledge in this critical area of cancer research.

Lab supervisor: Dr. Safiah Olabi

Title: Whole-body imaging of nanoparticles

Overview: In the Ertürk Lab, we develop a range of methods for tissue clearing and imaging - now we expanded into visualizing clinically relevant nanoparticles such as LNPs (lipid nanoparticles) on a whole-body scale. As a next step, we want to develop a method for the high-throughput evaluation of different LNPs in vivo, which has the potential to significantly impact the field of nanomedicine.

Project scope: The process will involve producing and selecting a range of nanoparticles with different properties, such as size or surface modifications, and assessing their biodistribution within an organism. You will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in LNP formulation design and characterization, tissue clearing and light-sheet imaging.

Required Lab Skills:

  • pipetting
  • willingness to work with animal tissue

Additional Lab Skills:

  • nanoparticle formulation and characterization
  • PCR

Potential supervisor(s): Karoline Kadletz (lab supervisor), Dr. Ceren Kimna (project supervisor)