Immunobiology: From Molecules to Integrative Systems

Immune system research is the key to understanding the molecular causes of many diseases. This is not only true for bacterial and viral infections, but also for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Immunobiology is a systems science. The functions of our most important defense mechanisms against pathogens at the molecular or atomic level can only be understood through intact organs in a living organism.

In the master's degree program Immunobiology: From Molecules to Integrative Systems, students gain insight into model organisms and in-vitro approaches to exploring the immune system and its important cells. By visualizing molecules in living cells and isolating relevant protein complexes, intra-cellular signaling pathways become visible. Applying systems approaches in the fields of functional genomics, epigenetics and sophisticated bioinformatics, students investigate the complex regulation and communication in the immune system. The objective is for students to understand the elaborate work mechanisms of the immune system as a whole and what went wrong in the case of disease.

Possible lines of work:

Biomedical basic research (Max Planck Institutes, large research facilities, etc.), development/production/marketing (industrial sector), molecular diagnostics (for medical, biotechnological, environmental, forensic questions; in clinical disciplines (e.g. pediatrics, human genetics, internal medicine, etc.), academia (teaching/research at universities, research institutions, etc.)