Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Till Stephan on being awarded funding through the Emmy Noether Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG)!

His research focuses on how cells coordinate essential functions through the architecture and interaction of their organelles. Using advanced imaging techniques, his team investigates how mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are structured and organized at the nanoscale. A central aim of the project is to understand how these organelles communicate via contact sites to regulate lipid and energy metabolism. In particular, the study explores how lipid transport between the ER and mitochondria influences cellular metabolism—a key process implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Supported with up to €1.8 million, this cutting-edge project employs technologies like super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, including a newly approved STED microscope at Campus Riedberg.