Ex­per­i­ments

In our experiment, we work with an HL60 cell line that has been specifically differentiated into neutrophilic cells. We are investigating the impact of inhibiting Myosin II on their migration speed. To conduct this study, we utilize a PDMS microchannel system and employ fluorescence microscopy for experiment execution and result analysis. The experiment is divided into three parts: the first involves the fabrication of microchannels, the second part focuses on cell preparation, and the third part entails microscopic examination. The data analysis will be explained in a subsequent session. Consequently, the experiment provides insights into cell culture, microscopy, analysis, and general laboratory practices.

The experiment is suitable for all courses of study. Supervision can be provided in German or English.

Mona Grünewald
Building D 2.2 (INM)
Phone: +49 681 302-9 300 460
mona.gruenewald(at)uni-saarland.de

Lebende Zellen.pdf

As the smallest building blocks of life, cells must be able to perform many different tasks to enable life as we know it. These include the movement of cells, the absorption of external substances, the processing of external signals and much more.

In order to be able to perform these tasks, they sometimes have to reorganize and realign their entire inner life. For example, nutrients that are absorbed by the intestinal wall should only be carried into the blood and not return to the intestine. In order for this to work, intestinal cells have an asymmetrical structure that allows them to determine a transport direction.

Such asymmetries can also be artificially enforced in cells. In the practical experiment "Cell Polarity", you will force cells into geometric shapes and at the same time investigate what effects this has on the filament network and the position of the organelles inside the cell.

The experiment is suitable for all courses of study. Supervision can be provided in German or English.

Carsten Baltes
Building D 2.2 (INM)
Phone: +49 681 302-9 300 460
s8cabalt(at)stud.uni-saarland.de

Cellpolarity.pdf

Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) is a technique aiming to determine the size of particles using their diffusion coefficient. Experimentally, a laser beam enters a cuvette containing the analyzed sample, and the intensity of the scattered light is measured to determine the diffusion coefficient. In this experiment, polystyrene and silica beads of variable sizes will be used to investigate different regimes of the DLS.

The experiment is suitable for all courses of study. Supervision can be provided only in English.

Timothée Boutfol
Building B 2.1, Room 2.12
Phone: +49 681 302-68534
timothee.boutfol(at)uni-saarland.de

Dynamical light scattering.pdf

X-ray diffraction is a standard laboratory method for determining the structure of crystalline materials. The periodic arrangement of atoms in crystals leads to coherent scattering of photons (x-rays) that depends on the distance separating the atoms (lattice parameter), 
on the size of the crystalline regions in which the atoms are located (grain size), and on fluctuations in atomic position about the expected position in the crystal lattice (strain). 
In this experiment you will measure all three of these quantities for a nanocrystalline PdAu sample and nanocrystalline and a coarse-grained CeO2 sample.

The experiment is suitable for all courses of study. Supervision can be provided in German or English.

Anna Fuchs
Building E 2.6, Room 1.17
Phone: +49 681 302-2739
a.fuchs(at)physik.uni-saarland.de

Röntgenbeugung.pdf

The project 'Computed tomography' focusses on the mathematical basics for generating sinograms and reconstructing the original objects (Radon transform), which are then implemented and tested in Python or C. 

The experiment is suitable for all courses of study. Knowledge of programming (Python, C or C++) and of linear algebra and numerics are required. Supervision can be provided in German or English.

Christian Hoffmann
Building E 2.6, Room 1.05
Phone: +49 681 302-4218
chhof(at)lusi.uni-sb.de

Computertomographie.pdf

Integrating experiments and simulations strengthens multi- and cross-disciplinary approaches for solving complex biological problems. In biosciences, molecular dynamics simulations provide significant value to experimental research, particularly in super-resolution bioimaging, which has achieved spatial resolutions of approximately 20-50 nm. When exploring biological phenomena at scales beyond the reach of experimental techniques—such as the dynamics and interactions of individual biomolecules—molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical approaches are the most effective tools. In our practical class, you will apply both conventional and enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulation techniques to investigate how the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide interacts with lipid membranes during viral infection.

The experiment is suitable for all courses of study. Supervision can be provided in English.

Chetan Poojari
Building E 2.6, Room 1.07
Phone: +49 681 302-9734
chetan.poojari(at)uni-saarland.de

Bio Simulationen