1 Jul 2026
Markus Sperandio and Daniela Maier-Begandt investigate how neutrophils are guided from the bloodstream into inflamed tissue and how bacterial pathogens manipulate neutrophil function.
© SFB/TRR332
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has renewed funding for the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 332 "Neutrophils: Origin, Fate and Function" for a second funding period. Coordinated by the University of Münster, the collaborative programme brings together researchers from several institutions to investigate the biology of neutrophils – the most abundant white blood cells and key players in the body's first line of immune defence. Further details are available in the University of Münster's press release.
At the Biomedical Center (BMC), two research projects contribute to the Collaborative Research Centre:
PD Daniela Maier-Begandt's project investigates how human-adapted bacterial pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori, alter the protein composition of neutrophils to evade destruction by the immune system. By identifying and characterising these pathogen-induced changes, the researchers aim to uncover new therapeutic targets that could strengthen the body's natural defence against infection.
Prof. Markus Sperandio's team explores how neutrophils communicate with the cells lining the inside of blood vessels during inflammation. This communication determines whether neutrophils continue to circulate in the bloodstream or leave the blood vessels to enter inflamed tissue, where they help fight infection and coordinate the immune response. Understanding how this process is controlled could provide new insights into the regulation of inflammation. "The renewal of the Collaborative Research Centre is excellent news for everyone involved," says Prof. Markus Sperandio. "It allows us to continue the successful collaborations established during the first funding period and provides the framework to pursue ambitious and innovative research questions that would be difficult to address in individual projects."
The second funding period will also see the launch of NeutroTrain, a new Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) dedicated to supporting and training the next generation of scientists in neutrophil biology. The programme will be jointly led by Prof. Markus Sperandio (LMU Munich), Prof. Sven Brandau (University of Duisburg-Essen) and Prof. Angelika Rambold (University of Münster). The NeutroTrain coordination office will be based at LMU Munich and coordinated by Dr. Verena Kochan (BMC), further strengthening LMU's role within the Collaborative Research Centre.