UMIF

I am a physicist with a strong background in optics and microscopy. Since my PhD studentship I combined my wish to discover and develop novel and advanced light microscopy techniques with the aim to use them in bio-imaging experiment. While I was working on novel light microscopy methods I learn how to perform any kind of bio-imaging experiments ranging from e.g. live cell, in vivo imaging (live embryo) to multi-photon imaging of thick samples. I profit of my ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment for giving an original contribution to several bio-imaging project also for what concern original method to quantify and analyse light microscopy images. My aim at umif was originally to enhance the scientific profile of the facility, supervise facility members and users and teach light microscopy. I take especially care of educate users to properly approach a light microscope. With the help of Prof. Aepfelbacher, Prof. Linder and all the UKE scientific community I turn a small local basic imaging facility into a leading advanced imaging centre for north Germany. In the last years I successfully designed and implemented the model of centralized imaging facility in multi-disciplinary campus.

 

Short CV

Hamburg October 2011-ongoing: Light microscopy facility manager at University medical centre Hamburg Eppendorf.

Tübingen, September 2009-September 2011: Light microscopy facility manager at Max Planck Institute for developmental biology.

Cambridge, March 2007-2009: Senior Scientific Officer at a light microscopy core facility of Cancer Research UK, Cambridge institute associated to the department of Oncology of the University of Cambridge

Tübingen, March 2007-ongoing: Associate researcher at physical chemistry department of Tübingen University

Tübingen, January 2005-February 2007: Junior group leader at physical chemistry department of Tübingen university.

Potsdam, 2003- 2004: Marie Curie Fellow at physics department of university of Potsdam.

Heidelberg, 2002. PhD degree in Physics at Kirchhoff Institute fur Physics, with the dissertation: “Advanced Methods in Spatially Modulated Illumination Microscopy.”

Roma, 1999 University degree, at physics faculty of the “Sapienza“ university. Thesis: “Characterization of Partially Coherent Beams Produced by Stable Cavity”

  

Academic activities

Invited Member of PhD commission for the Thesis “Synthesis and Characterization of not uniformly polarized light beams” at the University of Madrid (08.10.2010).

  

Awards

Best poster prize at NFO-9 conference Lausanne September 2006 for the poster: “A new approach to detect and characterize scattering patterns of single gold nanoparticles using confocal microscopy.” (T. Züchner, A. V. Failla, A. Hartschuh A. J. Meixner.).

  

Patents

A.V. Failla, C.Cremer, B. Albrecht, “Far Field Light Microscopical Method, System and Computer for Analysing at Least One Object Having a Subwavelength Size Nanotopology.”, US patent application: PCT/EPO2/11343.

  

Projects

Active contributions to following accepted projects:

1) Starke Photon-Elektron-Wechselwirkung in nanoskaligen Halbleiter-Metall-Hybridstrukturen

In the frame of Kompetenznetz "Funktionelle Nanostrukturen" Baden Württemberg

2) SFB project.

  

Technical Expertise

I am use to work with home-made self-build advanced imaging setups.
I have been working also with many commercial microscopes from Leica Zeiss, Olympus Nikon Visitron Abberior and much more. These microscope are basic setups such as wide field system or stereo microscopes as well as advanced such as STED, SMLM setups.
With all those systems I have been performing multi color, multi points, 3D time lapse experiment from the basic scratch assay to visualization of mythotic processes in the nuclei of living cell and live embryo experiments. I am also often imaging 3D biomedical sample such as Spheroid, Tumoroids and Organoids. I am familiar with several light microscopy advanced methods like e.g. 2Ph microscopy, SHG microscopy, FCS, FLIM, FRET, FRAP, FLIM-FRET, spectral unmixing, structured illumination microscopy. I successfully introduced super resolution microscopy at UMIF by promoting STED and SMLM methods. Recently I am actively promoting and becoming expert in the combination of super resolution microscopy with advanced light microscopy techniques such as FCS FLIM and FRET. Last but not least I am among the first that have been believing in the potential of MINFLUX microscopy promoting its utilization in bio-medical related research projects
I can use commercial imaging software for analysing microscope images via intensity based segmentation and deconvolution algorithms as well as statistical processing for estimate colocalization. I am also able to use cell tracking algorithm on different software platform.
Moreover beside using already programmed algorithm I developed and published several on my own since novel bio-imaging experiment sometime require image analysis algorithms not yet available on the market. Finally I am getting in to learning artificial intelligence or deep learning based software algorithms. Here I list the software programs I have been and I am using: Imaris,Volocity, Methamorph, Khoros Cantata,Zeiss AxioVision, Leica LCS, NIS elements, Olympus DL, Olympus Cell sense, ImageJ as well as Matlab.

 

List of selected publications

1) A.V. Failla and C. Cremer, “Virtual Spatially Modulated Illumination Microscopy Predicts Nanometer Precision of Axial Distance Measurements”, In Optical diagnostics of Living Cells IV, D.L. Farkas and R.C. Leif eds., Proc. SPIE Vol., 4260, 120-126, 2001.

2) A.V. Failla, B. Albrecht, A. Schweitzer and C. Cremer, “Spatially Modulated Illumination Microscopy A New Approach to Biological Nanostructure Analysis”, G.I.T. 2, 40-42, 2001

3) A.V. Failla, P. Edelmann and C. Cremer, "Virtual Spectral Precision Distance Microscopy Indicates Nanometer Distance Resolution In Biological Specimen", QMC II 199-202.

4) A. V. Failla, B. Albrecht, R. Heintzmann and C. Cremer, “Spatially Modulated Illumination Microscopy: online visualization of intensity distribution and prediction of nanometer precision of axial distance measurements by computer simulations”, Journal of Biomedical Optics, 6(3), 292-299, 2001

5) A. V. Failla, A. Cavallo and C.Cremer, “Subwavelength size determination using SMI Virtual Microscopy”, Appl. Opt., 41, 31, 6651-6659, 2002

6) A. V. Failla, B. Albrecht, U. Spoeri, A. Kroll and C.Cremer, “Nanosizing of fluorescent objects by Spatially Modulated Illumination microscopy”, Appl. Opt., 41, 34, 7275-7283, 2002

7) B. Albrecht, A. V. Failla, A. Schweitzer and C. Cremer, “Spatially Modulated Illumination Microscopy allows Axial Distance Resolution near One Nanometer”, Appl. Opt., 41,1, 80-87, 2002

8) A. V. Failla, Udo Spöri, Benno Albrecht, Margund Bach and Christoph Cremer, "Nanosizing of Fluorescent Objects in Molecular Cytogenetics." QMC 2002, 98-102.

9) A. V. Failla, B. Albrecht, U. Spöri, A. Schweitzer, A. Kroll, G. Hildenbrand, M. Bach and C. Cremer, “Nanostructure Analysis Using Spatially Modulated Illumination Microscopy”, ComPlexUs 1, 77-88, 2003.

10) A.V. Failla, C. Cremer, B. Albrecht, “Far Field Light Microscopical Method, System and Computer for Analysing at Least One Object Having a Subwavelength Size Nanotopology”, US patent application: PCT/EPO2/11343.

11) S. Martin, A.V. Failla, U. Spoeri, C. Cremer and A. Pombo. “Measuring the size of biological nanostructures with Spatially Modulated Illumination microscopy”. Molecular Biol. Of the Cell, vol 15, 2449-2455, 2004.

12) U. Spoeri, A.V. Failla, and C. Cremer. “Superresolution size determination in Fluorescence Microscopy a comparison between Spatially Modulated Illumination and confocal laser scanning Microscopy”. Journal of Appl. Phys, 95, 12, 8436-8443 2004.

13) M. Steiner, F. Schleifenbaum, C. Stupperich, A.V. Failla, A. Hartschuh and A.J. Meixner. “Microcavity-Controlled Single-Molecule Fluorescence”, ChemPhysChem ,6,1 – 8, 2005;

14) M. Steiner, F. Schleifenbaum, A.V. Failla, C. Stupperich, A. Hartschuh and A.J. Meixner. “A new microcavity design for single molecule detection". Journal of Luminescence, 119-120, 167-172 2006.

15) A.V. Failla, Qian Hui, Qian Huihong, A. Hartschuh and A.J. Meixner. “Orientational imaging of subwavelength Au particles with higher order laser modes”, Nano letters 6, 1374 – 1378, 2006

16) A. V. Failla, S. Yaeger, T. Züchner, M. Steiner, A. J. Meixner. ”Topology measurements of metal nanoparticles with 1 nm accuracy by Confocal Interference Scattering Microscopy”. Optic Express, 15, 8532-8542, 2007.

17) M. Steiner, C. Debus, A. V. Failla, A. J. Meixner. “Plasmon Enhanced Emission in Gold Nanoparticle Aggregates.” Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 112, 3103-3108, 2008

18) T. Züchner, A. V. Failla, A. Hartschuh A. J. Meixner. “A novel approach to detect and characterize the scattering patterns of single Au-nanoparticles using confocal microscopy.” Journal of Microscopy, 229, 337-343, 2008.

19) T. Züchner, A. V. Failla, M. Steiner A. J. Meixner. “Probing dielectric interfaces on the nanoscale with elastic scattering patterns of single gold nanorods”. Optic. Express. 16, 14635-14644, 2008.

20) T. Züchner, F. Wackenhut, A. V. Failla, A. J. Meixner. “Nanoscale characterization of single Au nanorods by confocal microscopy”, Applied Surface Sciences 255 (10), 5391-5395, 2008.

21) M. Steiner, A. V. Failla, A. Hartschuh , F. Schleifenbaum, C. Stupperich, A. J. Meixner. “Controlling molecular broadband –emission by optical confinement”. New Journal of Physics, 10, 123017, 2008.

22) M. Steiner, M. Freitag, J. C. Tsang, V. Perebeinos, A, A. Bol , A.V. Failla and P. Avouris “How does the substrate affect the Raman and excited state spectra of a carbon nanotube?” Appl Phys A 96: 271–282, 2009.

23) Giangreco A, Goldie SJ, Failla V, Saintigny G, Watt FM. “Human skin aging is associated with reduced expression of the stem cell markers beta1 integrin and MCSP” J. Invest Dermatol. 130 604-608. 2010.

24)T. Züchner, A. V. Failla+, A. J. Meixner, „Light Microscopy with Doughnut Modes: A Concept to Detect, Characterize, and Manipulate Individual Nanoobjects” Ang. Chemie 50, 5274-5293, 2011.

25) F. Wackenhut, A. V.  Failla+, T. Züchner, A. J. Meixner. „Complete three-dimensional optical characterization of single gold nanorods.“ Proc. SPIE 8096, 80962V ,2011.
26) P.C. de Sampaio, D. Auslaender, D. Krubasik, A. V. Failla, J. N. Skepper, G. Murphy and W. R. English, “A Heterogeneous In Vitro Three Dimensional Model of Tumour-Stroma Interactions Regulating Sprouting Angiogenesis”. PLoS One, 7, e30753, 2012
27) J. Jiao, X. Wang, F. Wackenhut, A. Horneber, L. Chen, A. V. Failla, A. J. Meixner, and D. Zhang „Polarization-dependent Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy at Differently Oriented Single Gold Nanorods“ Chem. Phys. Chem. 13, 952-958, 2012.
28) I.Kulemzina, M.R. Schumacher, V. Verma, J. Reiter, J. Metzler, A. V. Failla, C. Lanz, V. T. Sreedharan , G. Rätsch, D. Ivanov „Cohesin Rings Devoid of Scc3 and Pds5 Maintain Their Stable Association with the DNA“,  PLoS Genetics 8  e1002856, 2012. 
29) F. Wackenhut, A. V. Failla+, T. Züchner, M. Steiner, and A. J. Meixner „Three-dimensional photoluminescence mapping and emission anisotropy of single gold nanorods“  Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 263102 2012.
30) F. Wackenhut, A. V. Failla+ and A. J. Meixner . “Sensing dielectric media on the nanoscale with freely oriented gold nanorods”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 5407-5414, 2013. 
31) F. Wackenhut, A.V.Failla+, and A. J. Meixner. "Multicolor microscopy and spectroscopy reveals the physics of the one-photon luminescence in gold nanorods.", 2117 (34), pp 17870–17877. 2013
32) K.Kollmann, J. M. Pestka, E.Schöne, M. Schweizer, K. Karkmann, S. C. Kühn, P. Catala-Lehnen2, A. V. Failla, R. P. Marshall, M. Krause, R. Santer., M. Amling, T.Braulke1* and T. Schinke. "Decreased bone formation and increased osteoclastogenesis cause bone loss in mucolipidosis II" . EMBO Mol Med. 12:1871-1886, 2013. 
33) T. Tilling, F. Wladykowski, AV Failla, P Houdek, JM Brandner , I Moll “Immunohistochemical analyses point to epidermal origin of human Merkel cells.” Histochem Cell Biol. 141 407-421 2014.
34) A. M. Kern, D. Zhang, M. Brecht, A.I. Chizhik , A.V.Failla , F. Wackenhut and A. J. Meixner .“ Enhanced single-molecule spectroscopy in highly confined optical fields: from λ/2-Fabry–Pérot resonators to plasmonic nano-antennas” Chem. Soc. Rev. 43, 1263-1286, 2014.

35) D.J. Ashour, B. Pelka, P. Jaaks, T. Wundenberg, C. Blechner, B. Zobiak, A.V. Failla, S. Windhorst. "The catalytic domain of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase-a contributes to ITPKA-induced modulation of F-actin." Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). 72(2):93-100, 2015.

36) F. Wackenhut, A.V. Failla, A.J. Meixner. "Single gold nanorods as optical probes for spectral imaging." Anal Bioanal Chem. 407(14):4029-34, 2015.

37) Y.N. Lin, R.N. Thata, A.V. Failla, M. Geissen, G. Daum, S. Windhorst. "Ex vivo aorta patch model for analysis of cellular adhesion." Tissue Cell. 47(3):266-72, 2015.

38) Y.N. Lin, R. Bhuwania, K. Gromova, A.V. Failla, T. Lange, K. Riecken, S. Linder, M. Kneussel, J.R. Izbicki, S. Windhorst. "Drosophila homologue of Diaphanous 1 (DIAPH1) controls the metastatic potential of colon cancer cells by regulating microtubule-dependent adhesion." Oncotarget. 6(21):18577-89, 2015.

39) C. Mathes, J.M. Brandner, M. Laue, S.S. Raesch, S. Hansen, A.V. Failla, S. Vidal, I. Moll, U.F. Schaefer, C.M. Lehr. "Tight junctions form a barrier in porcine hair follicles." Eur J Cell Biol. 95(2):89-99; 2016.

40) X. Chai, S. Zhao, L. Fan, W. Zhang, X. Lu, H. Shao, S. Wang, L. Song, A.V. Failla, B. Zobiak, H.G. Mannherz, M. Frotscher. "Reelin and cofilin cooperate during the migration of cortical neurons: a quantitative morphological analysis." Development. 143(6):1029-40, 2016.

41) F. Wackenhut, B. Zobiak, A.J. Meixner, A.V. Failla. "Tuning the fields focused by a high NA lens using spirally polarized beams." Chin Opt Lett. 15(3): 030013; 2017.

42) B. Zobiak, A.V. Failla. "Advanced spinning disk-TIRF microscopy for faster imaging of the cell interior and the plasma membrane." J Microsc. 269(3):282-290, 2018
43) S. Wang, B. Brunne, S. Zhao, X. Chai, J. Li, J. Lau, A.V. Failla, B. Zobiak, M. Sibbe, G.L. Westbrook, D. Lutz, M. Frotscher. "Trajectory analysis unveils Reelin's role in the directed migration of granule cells in the dentate gyrus." J Neurosci. 2017 Nov 14. pii: 0988-17.

44) B.P. Diercks, R. Werner, P. Weidemüller, F. Czarniak, L. Hernandez, C. Lehmann, A. Rosche, A. Krüger, U. Kaufmann, M. Vaeth, A.V. Failla, B. Zobiak, F.I. Kandil, D. Schetelig, A. Ruthenbeck, C. Meier, D. Lodygin, A. Flügel, D. Ren, I.M. Wolf, S. Feske, A.H. Guse. "ORAI1, STIM1/2, and RYR1 shape subsecond Ca2+ microdomains upon T cell activation." Sci. Signal 2018 Dec 18; 11(561)

45) T. Nauth, F. Huschka, M. Schweizer, J.b. Bosse, A. Diepold, A.V. Failla, A. Steffen, T. Stradal, M. Wolters, M. Aepfelbacher. "Visualization of translocons in Yersinia type III protein secretion machines during host cell infection." PLoS Pathog. 2018 Dec 26;14(12):e1007527.

46) B. Zobiak, A.V. Failla. "Visualizing adhesion formation in cells by means of advanced spinning disk-total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy." J Vis Exp. (143):e58756 (2019)

47) J. Herwig, S. Skuza, W. Sachs, M. Sachs, A.V. Failla, G. Rune, T.N. Meyer, L. Fester, C. Meyer-Schwesinger. "Thrombospondin Type 1 Domain-Containing 7A Localizes to the Slit Diaphragm and Stabilizes Membrane Dynamics of Fully Differentiated Podocytes." J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 May;30(5):824-839.

48) A. Sharaf, L. Mensching, C. Keller, S. Rading, M Scheffold, L. Palkowitsch, N. Djogo, M. Rezgaoui, H.A. Kestler, B. Moepps, A.V. Failla, M. Karsak. "Systematic Affinity Purification Coupled to Mass Spectrometry Identified p62 as Part of the Cannabinoid Receptor CB2 Interactome." Front Mol Neurosci. 2019 Sep 20;12:224. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00224.
49) M. Andres-Alonso, M.R. Ammar, I. Butnaru, G.M. Gomes, G. Acuña Sanhueza, R. Raman, P. Yuanxiang, M. Borgmeyer, J. Lopez-Rojas, S.A. Raza, N. Brice, T.J. Hausrat, T. Macharadze, S. Diaz-Gonzalez, M. Carlton, A.V. Failla, O. Stork, M. Schweizer, E.D. Gundelfinger, M. Kneussel, C. Spilker, A. Karpova, M.R. Kreutz. "SIPA1L2 controls trafficking and local signaling of TrkB-containing amphisomes at presynaptic terminals." Nat comm. 2019; 10(1), 5448. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13224-z.

50) T.A. Yorgan, H. Sari, T. Rolvien, S. Windhorst, A.V. Failla, U. Kornak, R. Oheim, M. Amling, T. Schinke. "Mice lacking plastin-3 display a specific defect of cortical bone acquisition." Bone. 2020 Jan;130:115062. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2019.115062.
51) H.Y. Liu, C. Koch, A. Haller, S.A. Joosse, R. Kumar, M. J. Vellekoop, L.J. Horst, L. Keller, A. Babayan, A.V. Failla, J. Jensen, S. Peine, F. Keplinger, H. Fuchs, K. Pantel, M. Hirtz. "Evaluation of Microfluidic Ceiling Designs for the Capture of Circulating Tumor Cells on a Microarray Platform." Adv. Biosys. 2020 Feb;4(2):e1900162. doi: 10.1002/adbi.201900162.

52) S. Brenna, H.C. Altmeppen, B. Mohammadi, B. Rissiek, F. Schlink, P. Ludewig, C. Krisp, H. Schlüter, A.V. Failla, C. Schneider, M. Glatzel, B. Puig, T. Magnus. "Characterization of brain-derived extracellular vesicles reveals changes in cellular origin after stroke and enrichment of the prion protein with a potential role in cellular uptake." J Extracell Vesicles. 2020 Aug 27;9(1):1809065. doi: 10.1080/20013078.2020.1809065.

53) M. Grunt, A.V. Failla, I. Stevic, T. Hillebrand, H. Schwarzenbach. "A novel assay for exosomal and cell-free miRNA isolation and quantification.", RNA Biol. 2020, doi: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1721204.
54) C.L. Maire, M- Mohme, M. Bockmayr, K.D. Fita, K. Riecken, D. Börnigen, M. Alawi, A. Failla, K. Kolbe, S. Zapf, M. Holz, K. Neumann, L. Dührsen, T. Lange, B. Fehse, M. Westphal, K. Lamszus. "Glioma escape signature and clonal development under immune pressure." J Clin Invest. 2020 Oct 1;130(10):5257-5271. doi: 10.1172/JCI138760.

55) L. von Palubitzki, Y. Wang, S. Hoffmann, S. Vidal-Y-Sy, B. Zobiak, A.V. Failla, P. Schmage, A. John, A. Osorio-Madrazo, A.T. Bauer, S.W Schneider, F.M. Goycoolea, C. Gorzelanny. "Differences of the tumour cell glycocalyx affect binding of capsaicin-loaded chitosan nanocapsules." Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 31;10(1):22443. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-79882-y

56) A. Both, J. Huang, M. Qi, C. Lausmann, S. Weißelberg, H. Büttner, S. Lezius, A.V. Failla, M. Christner, M. Stegger, T. Gehrke, S. Baig, M. Citak, M. Alawi, M. Aepfelbacher, H. Rohde. "Distinct clonal lineages and within-host diversification shape invasive Staphylococcus epidermidis populations." PLoS Pathog. 2021 Feb 5;17(2):e1009304. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009304.  

57) H. Hemmatian, S. Conrad, G. Furesi, K. Mletzko, J. Krug, A.V. Failla, J. Kuhlmann, M. Rauner, B. Busse, K. Jähn-Rickert. "Reorganization of the osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network characteristics in tumor sites of an immunocompetent murine model of osteotropic cancers." Bone. 2021 Jun 23:116074. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.116074

58) M. Elazezy, S. Schwentesius, L. Stegat, H. Wikman, S. Werner, W.Y. Mansour, A.V. Failla, S. Peine, V. Müller, J.P. Thiery, W.E. Warkiani, K. Pantel, S.A. Joosse. "Emerging insights into keratin 16 expression during metastatic progression of breast cancer." Cancers. 20212021 Jul 31;13(15):3869. doi: 10.3390/cancers13153869

59) D. Woike, E. Wang, D. Tibbe, F. Hassani Nia, A.V. Failla, M. Kibæk, T.M. Overgård, M.J. Larsen, C.R. Fagerberg, I. Barsukov, H.J. Kreienkamp. "Mutations affecting the N-terminal domains of SHANK3 point to different pathomechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders." Sci Rep. 2022 Jan 18;12(1):902. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-04723-5.

60) T.J. Hausrat, P.C. Janiesch, P. Breiden, D. Lutz, S. Hoffmeister-Ullerich, I. Hermans-Borgmeyer, A.V. Failla, M. Kneussel. "Disruption of tubulin-alpha4a polyglutamylation prevents aggregation of hyper-phosphorylated tau and microglia activation in mice." Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 20;13(1):4192. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31776-5.

61) E. D'Acunto, L. Gianfrancesco, I. Serangeli, M. D'Orsi, V.Sabato, N.A. Guadagno, G. Bhosale, S. Caristi, A.V. Failla, A. De Jaco, E. Cacci, M.R. Duchen, G. Lupo, G. Galliciotti, E. Miranda. "Polymerogenic neuroserpin causes mitochondrial alterations and activates NFκB but not the UPR in a neuronal model of neurodegeneration FENIB." Cell Mol Life Sci. 2022 Jul 21;79(8):437. doi: 10.1007/s00018-022-04463-3.
62) J. Stamm, S. Weißelberg, A. Both, A.V. Failla, G. Nordholt, H. Büttner, S. Linder, M. Aepfelbacher, H. Rohde. "Development of an artificial synovial fluid useful for studying Staphylococcus epidermidis joint infections." Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 2022 Jul 22; 1070. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.948151.

63) R. Martínez-Herrero, O. Korotkova, M. Santarsiero, G. Piquero, J.C.G. de Sande, A.V. Failla, F. Gori. "Cylindrical partially coherent scalar sources." Opt Lett. 2022 Oct 1;47(19):5224-5227. doi: 10.1364/OL.471516.

64) F. Hassani Nia, D. Woike, I. Bento, S. Niebling, D. Tibbe, K. Schulz, D. Hirnet, M. Skiba, H.H. Hönck, K. Veith, C. Günther, T. Scholz, T. Bierhals, J. Driemeyer, R. Bend, A.V. Failla, C. Lohr, M.G. Alai, H. Kreienkamp. "Structural deficits in key domains of Shank2 lead to alterations in postsynaptic nanoclusters and to a neurodevelopmental disorder in humans." Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Nov 30. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01882-3.
65) A. Carsten, M. Rudolph, T. Weihs, R. Schmidt, I. Jansen, C.A. Wurm, A. Diepold, A.V. Failla, M. Wolters, M. Aepfelbacher. "MINFLUX imaging of a bacterial molecular machine at nanometer resolution." Methods Appl Fluoresc. 2022 Dec 13;11(1). doi: 10.1088/2050-6120/aca880

66) S. Dragoun Kolibová, E.M. Wölfel, H. Hemmatian, P. Milovanovic, H. Mushumba, B. Wulff, M. Neidhardt, K. Püschel, A.V. Failla, A. Vlug, A. Schlaefer, B. Ondruschka, M. Amling, L.C. Hofbauer, M. Rauner, B. Busse, K. Jähn-Rickert. "Osteocyte apoptosis and cellular micropetrosis signify skeletal aging in type 1 diabetes." Acta Biomater. 2023 May;162:254-265. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.02.037.    

 

+ corresponding author

tba

The first time I got excited by fluorescence microscopy was when I saw my self-prepared cryo-section of a 3D chicken embryo retina organoid (back in 2005!) as a part of my biochemistry study. In my diploma and doctoral thesis, I got passionate about light microscopy while working on Alzheimer’s disease and the pathogenicity of S. aureus. I soon became the reference point for light microscopy in the lab, and took the chance to turn the passion into my profession. Indeed since 2011, I am working as an imaging specialist at UMIF. My principal responsibility at UMIF is to supervise the users that perform live cell imaging experiments, to help with sample preparation and maintain the microscope systems. At the same time, I am challenging my imaging skills for combining the resolution and acquisition speed of spinning disk microscopy with specificity of TIRF microscopy to specifically image events that occur at the cellular membrane. I am becoming expert in using super-resolution light microscopy techniques, such as STED and SMLM for what regards image acquisition and sample preparation. I am currently part of a project focused on the utilization of STED-FCS applied on a wider range of biological samples, helping to demonstrate the huge impact that this technique can have on biomedical research.  

Short CV

From 01/2011 Imaging Specialist at UMIF.

2006-2011, Dr. rer. nat. degree at Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf,  thesis: “FnBPA-mediated cellular infections by Staphylococcus aureus”.

2001-2006, Diploma in biochemistry at the University of Leipzig, thesis: „Charakterisierung TGF-ß1 regulierter Gene in TGF-ß1 transgenen Maushirnen“.

Technical expertise

I can work confidently with wide-field, confocal, spinning disk, TIRF and super-resolution microscopes, and apply advanced imaging techniques such as FRET, FRAP, TIRFM, advanced confocal imaging, structured illumination microscopy, dSTORM, STED, FCS and 6D live imaging. Moreover, I can follow an imaging project from the beginning to the end, this means that I can also use image analysis techniques as image segmentation applied to cell tracking , deconvolution or colocalization analysis. The software that I am mostly using for data analysis, quantification and/ or visualization includes Improvision Volocity, Bitplane Imaris, NIH ImageJ and Matlab. I work with a range of acquisition software from Zeiss, Leica and Olympus, Visitron, Aurox, Abberior and MicroManager. Finally, I am the person in charge for realizing state of the art technical solutions that can help the imaging facility to keep at the pass with the time, e.g. administrating webpages, creating remote service network and remote training schemes and other tools that require expertise in basic programming, operating systems and a range of advanced software.

Selected Publications

13) von Palubitzki L, Wang Y, Hoffmann S, Vidal-Y-Sy S, Zobiak B, Failla AV, Schmage P, John A, Osorio-Madrazo A, Bauer AT, Schneider SW, Goycoolea FM, Gorzelanny C. Differences of the tumour cell glycocalyx affect binding of capsaicin-loaded chitosan nanocapsules. Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 31;10(1):22443. 

12) Zobiak B, Failla AV. Visualizing adhesion formation in cells by means of advanced spinning disk-total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. J Vis Exp. 2019 Jan 21, (143):e58756

11) Diercks BP, Werner R, Weidemüller P, Czarniak F, Hernandez L, Lehmann C, Rosche A, Krüger A, Kaufmann U, Vaeth M, Failla AV, Zobiak B, Kandil FI, Schetelig D, Ruthenbeck A, Meier C, Lodygin D, Flügel A, Ren D, Wolf IM, Feske S, Guse AH. ORAI1, STIM1/2, and RYR1 shape subsecond Ca2+ microdomains upon T cell activation. Sci. Signal 2018 Dec 18; 11(561)

10) Wang S, Brunne B, Zhao S, Chai X, Li J, Lau J, Failla AV, Zobiak B, Sibbe M, Westbrook GL, Lutz D, Frotscher M. Trajectory analysis unveils Reelin's role in the directed migration of granule cells in the dentate gyrus. J Neurosci. 2017 Nov 14. pii: 0988-17.  

9) Zobiak B, Failla AV. Advanced spinning disk-TIRF microscopy for faster imaging of the cell interior and the plasma membrane. J Microsc. 2018 Mar;269(3):282-290.  

8) Wackenhut F, Zobiak B, Meixner AJ, Failla AV. Tuning the fields focused by a high NA lens using spirally polarized beams. Chin Opt Lett. 2017; 15(3): 030013.   

7) Chai X, Zhao S, Fan L, Zhang W, Lu X, Shao H, Wang S, Song L, Failla AV, Zobiak B, Mannherz HG, Frotscher M. Reelin and cofilin cooperate during the migration of cortical neurons: a quantitative morphological analysis. Development. 2016 Mar 15;143(6):1029-40.

6) Wolters M, Zobiak B, Nauth T, Aepfelbacher M. Analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica Effector Translocation into Host Cells Using Beta-lactamase Effector Fusions. J Vis Exp. 2015 Oct 13;(104).

5) Decker R, Burdelski C, Zobiak M, Büttner H, Franke G, Christner M, Saß K, Zobiak B, Henke HA, Horswill AR, Bischoff M, Bur S, Hartmann T, Schaeffer CR, Fey PD, Rohde H. An 18 kDa scaffold protein is critical for Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation. PLoS Pathog. 2015 Mar 23;11(3):e1004735.

4) Ashour DJ, Pelka B, Jaaks P, Wundenberg T, Blechner C, Zobiak B, Failla AV, Windhorst S. The catalytic domain of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase-a contributes to ITPKA-induced modulation of F-actin. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). 2015 Feb;72(2):93-100.

3) Stanway RR, Mueller N, Zobiak B, Graewe S, Froehlke U, Zessin PJ, Aepfelbacher M, Heussler VT. “Organelle segregation into Plasmodium liver stage merozoites”. Cell Microbiol. 2011, Nov;13(11):1768-82.

2) Stanway RR, Witt T, Zobiak B, Aepfelbacher M, Heussler VT. GFP-targeting allows visualization of the apicoplast throughout the life cycle of live malaria parasites. Biol Cell. 2009 Jul;101(7):415-30, 5 p following 430.

1) Ueberham U, Zobiak B, Ueberham E, Brückner MK, Boriss H, Arendt T. Differentially expressed cortical genes contribute to perivascular deposition in transgenic mice with inducible neuron-specific expression of TGF-beta1. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2006 Apr-May;24(2-3):177-86.

- Short profile

Short CV

- Short CV

Technical expertise

- Short expertise 

Selected Publications

1)