Laboratory Diagnostics

Genetically modified animal models, especially transgenic and knock-out mice, have become a central tool in biomedical research in recent years. Since 15 years, the Mouse Pathology in Tübingen, led by Prof. Quintanilla-Fend, offers a wide range of histomorphological and immunohistochemical techniques and broad expertise in anatomical, physiological and pathological variations between species, genetics, pathogens and strain-specific diseases. Within iFIT, the focus is on the precise correlation of functional imaging and pathological findings.

Graduate School: Intraoperative multisensory tissue differentiation in oncology

Within the DFG-funded Research Training Group 2543 “Intraoperative multisensory tissue differentiation in oncology”, jointly situated at Tübingen and Stuttgart universities, optical and other sensor technologies for intraoperative tissue typing as alternative or addition to frozen section diagnostics are developed in a pre-clinical setting in a collaboration of engineers, computer scientists and clinical researchers. In addition, sensor data fusion enabled by machine learning is developed for precise navigation and digital representation of intraoperative sites.

Molecular Tumor Diagnostics

The molecular pathology laboratory of the Department of General and Molecular Pathology offers a wide range of cutting-edge investigative methods for translational tumor research. This range includes classical technologies (PCR-based detection methods, FISH) as well as modern high-throughput techniques (next-generation sequencing, gene expression profiling) applied to tumor tissue and cell-free DNA from liquid biopsies of various origins.

Multiparametric Tissue Imaging

The Schürch lab investigates the immune surveillance of solid tumors and hematological neoplasms. A key focus is on characterizing the so-called immune tumor microenvironment (iTME) using high-multiplex microscopy (CODEX) and machine learning methods, as well as bioreactor models and mouse models. Our work aims to improve the prediction of responses to immunotherapies and to elucidate immunological mechanisms of tumor control. Additionally, we are engaged in the further development of high-multiplex microscopy and computer-assisted data analysis methods

The CODEX device generates raw images, which are processed to precisely align the markers (top left). After segmentation and clustering, the cells are annotated and overlaid onto the tissue (top right). The subsequent analysis identifies cellular neighborhoods (bottom right) and facilitates the construction of a cell-cell interaction network

CODEX shows the composition of the iTME in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. (A) Patch stage and (B) Tumor stage.

Proteomics

The Singer Lab conducts cell- and tissue-based large-scale proteomics (LC-MS/MS) as a key technology in different translational and basic research settings. Main focus are diseases of the GI tract and hepato-biliary system.