Molecular Transport and Recognition

Tiny molecular machines operate within every cell of our body, enabling essential life processes. They transport nutrients, send signals, and dispose of wastefunctions that are indispensable for our health. When these processes are disrupted, diseases can develop. For example, specific proteins facilitate the influx of calcium into nerve cells, allowing us to think and move. Other proteins influence how our body responds to allergic reactions. However, the exact mechanisms of these transport processes and how they change with disease or aging often remain a mystery. This doctoral program trains young scientists to answer these fundamental questions. They investigate the processes mentioned aboveranging from individual molecules to entire organisms. As part of their research, they learn to use state-of-the-art microscopes and other cutting-edge technologies capable of visualizing processes that remain invisible to conventional optical microscopes. Additionally, they develop new tools to study these molecules even more precisely. In collaboration with professors from physics, chemistry, and medicine, students gain new insights into how molecules cross cell membranes. This knowledge will contribute to the development of better treatment methods for diseases and a deeper understanding of how our bodies change as we age. The program also prepares students for their future careers and strengthens the connection between natural sciences and medicine in research and education. By bringing together the resources of two faculties at JKU, it aims to solve major questions in fundamental medical research while training the next generation of researchers.