Research and Technology Innovation

Activities of LMB are organized in three major research themes, "Electron Microscopy and Diffraction", "Cellular Structural Biology & Multi-scale Bioimaging", and "Mechano-Genomics & Computational Biology". In addition, we provide expertise in technologies such as micro- and nanofabrication, biointerfaces, cellular engineering and light microscopy.

Electron Microscopy & Diffraction

$electron diffraction of single molecules$

Electron diffraction of biological specimens

We are developing novel methods for visualizing life at atomic resolution using electron diffraction and imaging.

$coherent electron diffraction$

Coherent electron diffraction imaging

We develop coherent electron imaging techniques that capture 3D atomic arrangement information via relative phase shifts of the scattered electron waves.

Electron microscopy, EM Facility

The Electron Microscopy and Diffraction group is running the electron microscopy facility of PSI. Method development and implementation are currently focussing on diffractive techniques.

Cellular Structural Biology & Multi-scale Bioimaging

Cellular Structural Biology

Using core stengths in electron tomography and protein bioengineering the cellular structural biology group focuses on analysis of 3D structures of biological macromolecules in the cell, in particular using cryo-electron tomography.

Biomolecular Nanoengineering

Our research focuses on structure-based protein engineering to create biomolecules with novel functionalities.

Structural Neurobiology

We investigate the structure and function of healthy and diseased brains using a dynamical connectomics approach combining in vivo multiphoton calcium imaging in behaving mice with multi-scale electron and X-ray microscopy for dense, synaptic resolution neuronal circuit reconstruction.

Multiscale Biophysics of Neuredegeneration

In the context of research on neurodegenerative diseases, we investigate the structure and function of neurodegenerative amyloid proteins by integrative biophysical methods.

Mechano-Genomics & Computational Biology

Mechano-Genomics

We are investigating mesoscale functional links between cell mechanics, genome organization and gene expression during cellular ageing, rejuvenation and tissue homeostasis.

Computational Biology (in planning)

Recent developments in computational methods, including deep learning techniques, offer unique opportunities towards linking multi-domain and multi-scale biology-raleted data sets.

Technology support and related research

Building on expertise in micro- and nanofabrication, biointerfaces, cellular engineering and light microscopy we are running and supporting projects in different fields including mechano-genomics and protein crystallography.

Cellular Engineering and Microscopy

We are developing novel tools to monitor and quantify trafficking and signalling of receptor tyrosine kinases and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Grafted structure functionalized with Alexa-SAv

Biointerfaces

Surfaces for application in biomolecular research range from protein patterns on glass and polymers to micro- and nanostructures and templates for replication in biocompatible polymers.

Fixed Targets for Protein Crystallography

Supports for Serial Protein Crystallography

In close collaboration with the macromolecular crystallography group at PSI and the Institute of Polymer Nanotechnology at FHNW, we are developing solid supports for serial protein crystallography at the SLS and at SwissFEL.

Ultrasound Mechanobiology

We are developing tools for bio-reated research, including acoustic tweezers for non-invasive intracellular manipulation and an ultrasonic acoustic levitation diffractometer for protein crystallography.