University Women's Hospital Tübingen, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Diethelm Wallwiener and Prof. Dr. Sarah Brucker, is one of the premier women's hospitals in Europe, which hosts the Treatment and Research Centre for Rare Diseases. Within this center, our group is working closely with the Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics and the surgical department to discover the genetic mechanisms involved in rare diseases such as MRKH. Our other goals in the Women's Hospital are to find new non-invasive methods to diagnose very early stages of endometriosis. We aspire to create a new gold standard for endometriosis detection, which may lead to new processes to manage the disease.

Multiphoton microscopy has become a powerful method for the nondestructive evaluation of deep-tissue cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) structures. By interacting with highly non-centrosymmetric molecular assemblies, the non-linear process called second harmonic generation has also proven to be an important diagnostic tool for the visualization of ECM compartments in situ with submicron resolution without the need for tissue processing.

The Image Stream Core Facility is equipped with the most advanced Imaging Flow cytometer on the market. It is augmented with five lasers: 488 nm, 405 nm, 561 nm, 642 nm and SSC (785 nm). Two CCD cameras allow detection in 12 image channels with 3 different magnifications (20x, 40x, 60x). The EDF function extends the depth of field which can improve spot counting applications such as FISH, autophagy and nuclear translocation.

Raman spectroscopy has become a powerful diagnostic tool in the life sciences. Raman spectra allow assessment of the overall molecular constitution of biological samples, based on specific signals from proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. Measurements are non-invasive and do not require sample processing, making Raman spectroscopy a reliable and robust method with numerous applications in biomedicine.

Our biomaterial research focuses on the creation of naturally inspired constructs as implants or humanized 3D tissue models for the testing of pharmaceuticals. We create hydrogels and electrospun constructs as carriers for drug delivery or the physical support of damaged tissues. Our 3D tissue constructs can also be used for the mechanistic evaluation of developmental processes in vitro as a tool to better understand and address congenital diseases.