The Schlitzer lab focuses on the investigation of the development and functional specialization of the myeloid cell compartment in mouse and man. The focus of our work is Dendritic cells and Monocytes. Dendritic cells are the most important antigen-presenting cell type throughout the immune system and develop from dedicated precursors in the bone marrow. During their development Dendritic cells acquire functional specialization and tissue-specific adaption and we are investigating how these processes are regulated on a transcriptomic and functional level. Additionally, we are investigating the functional and development processes leading to the functional specialization of Monocytes during health and disease. To tackle these important questions we are using cutting edge technologies such as single-cell mRNA sequencing, advanced flow cytometry and in vivo differentiation assays, which allow us for the first time to draw a global picture of these complex developmental processes.