In the presence of Christian Gaebler, Senator for Urban Development, Building and Housing, Dr Ina Czyborra, Senator for Science, Health and Care, and Prof. Dr Julia von Blumenthal, President of Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin, the official ground-breaking ceremony for the new optobiology research building took place today, Tuesday. The client is the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing. The new building will provide state-of-the-art facilities for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin (HU) and Charité - Universit?tsmedizin Berlin. A new scientific centre for optobiology is planned.
The President of Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin, Prof. Dr Julia von Blumenthal: "We are delighted to be celebrating the ground-breaking ceremony for a ground-breaking project today. In close partnership with Charité Universit?tsmedizin Berlin, HU Berlin is planning a new scientific centre for optobiology in Berlin-Mitte - as the heart of the emerging "Life Science" campus. Research will be conducted here into how light affects cells, tissue and organisms and how these reactions can be utilised, for example to diagnose or better treat diseases. In future, photobiology, microscopy and neurobiological optogenetics will be brought together at the centre. The fact that we are able to realise this ambitious building project despite the current budget cuts opens up new opportunities for cutting-edge research at HU and Charité."
Laboratory and office workplaces for 110 scientists will be built on around 3,800 square metres. The new building will create an infrastructure that enables excellent basic research and at the same time builds bridges to application. With the Centre for Optobiology, Humboldt-Universit?t and Charité are contributing their strengths to the Berlin University Alliance and promoting the development of Berlin's excellent profile in biomedical research.
According to the 2025 planning status, the construction costs amount to 81.2 million euros. As things stand today, the federal government and the state of Berlin will each bear half of this sum, totalling 67.6 million euros. HU and Charité will probably have to bear the reasonable additional costs. HU and Charité are therefore in intensive discussions with the Senate Administration on how possible savings can be realised and maximum cost transparency can be achieved.
Optobiology
Optobiology investigates how light influences biological systems. To do this, researchers have to precisely observe processes in individual cells and in living organisms and control them from the outside without damaging them. The research programme of the new Optobiology Centre aims to learn from this biology of light control, to understand the mechanisms and to use them for application in a variety of biological and medical research fields. Possible therapeutic applications include neuroscience, cardiology, infectiology and regenerative medicine.