Dr. Tobias C. Kunz

• Infect various tissue models/organoids with SARS-CoV-II in a BSL3 laboratory. • Produce and perform preclinical studies on an oral vaccination for SARS-CoV-II based on typhoid vaccine. • Cooperate with partners of the industry for product evaluation under GMP.

Thesis title: Expansion Microscopy (ExM) as a tool to study organelles and intracellular pathogens. • Adjusted protocols to enable superresolution microscopy of bacteria on a conventional confocal microscope by expansion microscopy. • Enabled superresolution microscopy of lipids by the introduction of bifunctional sphingolipids. • Introduced a mitochondrial cristae marker to visualize and determine cristae morphology on a conventional confocal microscope by expansion microscopy.

• Prepared students of medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy for their exams in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Internship title: "Legionella pneumophila as a model to study the modulation of host autophagy." • Investigated the modulation of host sphingolipids by Legionella to manipulate autophagy with high-content microscopy (Opera-microscope).

• Supported the creation of a toxicological chemoinformatic system.

• Supported the creation of a toxicological chemoinformatic system.

Thesis title: Modulation of mitochondrial function by light-inducible protein bPAC and Chlamydia infection. • Introduced a presequence to target the optogenetic, blue light-inducible adenylyl cyclase bPAC into mitochondrial matrix. • Modulated chlamydial infection by activating cAMP production, introducing mitochondrial fission. • Produced different stable cell lines (e.g., cells expressing GFP in mitochondria or mCherry in the endoplasmic reticulum) with lentiviruses.

Thesis title: Insight into the structure and function of mitochondria in infection-related processes. • Isolated RNA/DNA of blood plasma samples from >100 patients from sub-Saharan Africa in a BSL3 laboratory. • Quantified HERV-K genes by RT-qPCR.