Prof. Dr. Franziska Lautenschläger

The Lautenschläger group focuses on cellular biophysics, specifically on the role of the cytoskeleton (actin, microtubules and vimentin) in the following areas:

Migration: what makes a cell move from A to B? And how can this movement be controlled? We address these questions in both mesenchymal and amoeboid cell systems.

The actin cortex: We study the role of the structure and dynamics of the actin cortex on a number of cellular functions, e.g. adhesion.

Cell Mechanics: The cytoskeleton also plays a major role in the mechanical properties and resulting functions of cells. We study these in both adherent and suspended cell types.

Polarity: How do cells align their cytoskeleton in a polarized cell and for what purpose? To investigate this question, we use small, adhesive islands (micropatterns) to impose a predefined shape on cells.