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Field of Focus IProjects

The Research Council aims at enabling interdisciplinary, cross-institutional collaborations. It provides funds to support emerging topics, the development of new technologies, and to strengthen the research infrastructure to make important contributions to modern biology and molecular medicine. Several Field of Focus 1 projects receive financial support in the framework of the Excellence Strategy. Calls for proposals are published annually and applications undergo a peer review and evaluation process.

Thematic Research Networks

Thematic Research Networks (TRNs) foster inter- and transdisciplinary communication. Their primary goals are to harness Heidelberg's broad synergy potential as a research location, to allow the identification of new interdisciplinary research schemes and to enable collaborations with Fields of Focus 2–4.

EXPLORER PROJECTS

Since 2023, the projects “A deep learning strategy for high-throughput proteomics of blood plasma and single cells” and “Decrypting the neuroscience of brain tumors with integrated correlative intravital microscopy and high-resolution spatial multi-omics” are funded. As technology drivers, both projects can open up new experimental opportunities for Field of Focus 1 members. 


From 2020 to 2022, the projects “The synthetic embryo” and “Development of a scalable platform to resolve asymmetric cell division across biological levels” were funded. Both projects established new interdisciplinary collaborations with EMBL and a bridge to the Field of Focus 2.


The project “START-HD: Spatially resolved transcriptomics in Heidelberg” was also funded 2020-2022. Researchers from EMBL, DKFZ and Heidelberg University jointly established a new methodology at the Heidelberg site.

Core Facilities

The Field of Focus 1 Research Council supports the development of technological facilities (Core Facilities) through financing and advisory service and via supporting the CellNetworks Core Technology Platform. An annual call provides support for equipment or specific measures.

Since 2020, the following measures have been supported:

Active Place Avoidance System

Autoscript module for Cryo-EM 

Biowave Pro+

Cell hashing method development support 

Computational image analysis hardware 

Confocal microscope upgrade

Core facility software 

CrestOptics spinning disc

FACS Flow Cytometer

FACS Sorter upgrade / software upgrade

Formulatrix Rock Imager

Large volume serial sectioning collection system (including an Ultramicrotome UC7)

MEG optical microphone

Metabolite library 

microArch S140SHL, precise 3D printer

Microscope upgrade Dragonfly

Nano-, capillary- and microUPLC

Spinning disk microscope

Technology experts - personnel costs

TIRF microscope upgrade with autofocus and back-illuminated sCMOS camera

UC7 Ultramicrotome

 

All projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Ministry of Science Baden-Württemberg within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments of Germany.