EXC 2189:  CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine ; Microbiology, Virology and Immunology ; Plant Sciences
• Term: since 2019
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390939984

Biological signalling processes orchestrate the fate and function of cells in living organisms. CIBSS, the Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, will launch pioneering research that aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and functions of signalling processes. Signalling reactions occur over a wide range of spatiotemporal scales – from molecules to organs and from microseconds to lifetimes. The immediate challenge, which will be addressed by CIBSS, is to understand how living systems accomplish integration of multiple signals across spatiotemporal scales in order to elicit cellular decisions and achieve multicellular organisation. A special focus of CIBSS research will be elucidating how the dynamic composition and modification of multi-protein signalling assemblies determine temporal accuracy and local specificity of signal perception, processing and propagation. CIBSS will study signal integration at key signalling hubs operating at cellular and organellar membranes as well as in the nucleus. CIBSS research will advance the emerging concept that signalling processes and metabolic programmes are mutually coordinated with each other and translated into cell fate decisions. By developing synthetic biological and chemical control-of-function strategies, CIBSS will generate the means to precisely control signalling reactions with optical and pharmacological cues. CIBSS will apply these novel control-of-function technologies to precisely programme signalling outcome, which will allow us to answer the most pressing questions in signalling research, and to address important challenges in biomedicine and plant sciences. With this strategy – From Mechanistic Understanding to Control-of-Function – CIBSS will generate fundamental insights in integrative biological signalling, and will advance its discoveries towards innovation.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
• Participating Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie und Epigenetik
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Driever; Professorin Dr. Carola Hunte; Professor Dr. Jürgen Kleine-Vehn, since 1/2024; Professor Dr. Wilfried Weber, until 3/2023
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Asifa Akhtar, Ph.D.; Professor Bertram Bengsch, Ph.D.; Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Brox; Dr. Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid; Professorin Dr. Anne-Kathrin Classen; Professor Dr. Bernd Fakler; Professor Dr. Olaf Groß; Professorin Dr. Julia Jellusova; Professor Dr. Henning Jessen; Professorin Dr. Maja Köhn; Professor Dr. Thomas Laux; Professor Dr. Chris Meisinger; Professor Dr. Thomas Ott; Professorin Erika Pearce, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Nikolaus Pfanner; Professor Dr. Marco Prinz; Professor Dr. Ralf Reski; Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schamel; Professor Dr. Roland Schüle; Professor Dr. Jens Timmer; Professor Dr. Gerd Walz; Professorin Dr. Bettina Warscheid