Biophotonics - Leibniz Universität Hannover

In the Biophotonics WG we work in an interdisciplinary team from the fields of physics, biology, (animal) medicine and engineering. We are interested in the application of optical technologies in the field of medicine in the areas of diagnostics, therapy and basic research in the fields of biophysics and biology.

The two main topics

The AG Heisterkamp focuses mainly on two main topics. On the one hand, we deal with the possible interactions of light with cells and tissues. On the other hand, we use it for comprehensive high-resolution imaging of different tissues, as well as cellular processes. Furthermore, we use light for manipulation. Thereby, single cells as well as tissues can be influenced. In the course of this, the research group is a long-standing member of the clusters of excellence REBIRTH and Hearing4All.

In addressing these priorities, the group is divided into two subgroups:

Dr. Stefan Kalies: Laser-based visualization and manipulation of cell regeneration
Regeneration and cellular repair is an essential component of all life. Understanding these mechanisms is necessary to develop new therapeutic options, for example in tissue engineering. To this end, we use a variety of different light-based techniques in the group. Biological working methods such as cell and bacterial culture or molecular biological techniques are also used.

Dr. Leilani Torres: Optical manipulation and sensing for biomedical applications
Optical methods offer a variety of ways to study, measure, and visualize processes at subcellular scales up to whole organ sizes. We are working on several projects that use light either to turn cellular activities on or off, and to capture particles so that the forces of biological interactions can be measured.