Small animal 3T PET/MR scanner

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 430609257

PET/MR small animal imaging is of crucial importance for the future research concept and the establishment of a development platform for radiopharmaceuticals with an interdisciplinary focus. The concept is essentially based on the innovative use of biotechnological processes as an interdisciplinary interaction of the research fields of biochemistry, chemistry, biotechnology, medicine and pharmacy. These projects in the field of radiopharmaceutical science are located within a versatile and clinically oriented scientific environment and include tracer development as well as efficient and tailor-made preclinical evaluation of new radiopharmaceuticals. The application of suitable biological methods for the characterization of in vivo pharmacokinetic properties via modern multimodal small animal imaging (PET/MR) is essential for the reliable identification of new radiopharmaceuticals with clinical potential. The projects are closely oriented to the needs of the clinical and scientific environment and will open up new translational key aspects and approaches. Radiopharmaceuticals will be generated against new surface receptors and specific components of the tumor microenvironment for modern molecular imaging of tumor stages and metastasis-specific events. PET/MR small animal imaging is essential for the visualization of these molecular processes as well as for innovative cardiological projects and research on neurodegenerative diseases.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Kleintier 3T PET/MR
• Instrumentation Group: 3322 PET-MRT-Hybridgeräte (Positronen-Emissions-Tomograph und Magnetresonanz-Tomograph)
• Applicant Institution: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Matthias Eder