DFG funding for a CRC/TRR with BMC participation
From January 1, 2023, the German Research Foundation (DFG) will fund a new, transregional research network (CRC/TRR359) investigating the early development of the immune system during pregnancy and shortly after birth. Spokesperson of the CRC/TRR "Perinatal Development of Immune Cell Topology (PILOT)" is Prof. Dr. Philipp Henneke from the University of Freiburg, co-spokesperson is Prof. Dr. Markus Sperandio from the Biomedical Center at LMU.
Birth means dramatic changes, particularly for the immune system. This become apparent by the fact that newborns are suddenly exposed to environmental influences, and must learn to cope with the microbial colonization of the gut and other organs while still grappling with the demands of independent food intake and breathing. Prior to birth, the immune system had developed in the protected environment of the womb. But what happens in the perinatal phase surrounding the birth? In what ways does the immune system adjust and prepare for the world outside? How do the cells of the complex immune defenses differentiate? This is a research field that has been largely unworked before now.
The new research network wants to get to the bottom of the mechanisms that are crucial for the perinatal differentiation of immune cells and the cellular environment. It will initially be funded for four years.