Prof. David A. Weitz works as a "Hans Fischer Senior Fellow" at TUM-IAS with the Bausch group to develop new methods to study the elastic properties of cells, through a combination of using reconstituted biomolecular networks of purified proteins and in situ measurements on cells. The goal is to develop improved understanding of the origin of the elastic properties of cells and the design principles used by Nature to control this.

Prof. Hendrik Dietz (Hans Fischer Tenure Track Fellow at TUM IAS), is conducting research toward developing novel scientific devices and methods for applications in biomolecular physics, biological chemistry, and molecular medicine. A central focus of his newly established 'Laboratory for Biomolecular Nanotechnology' is on investigating the physical details of intermolecular interactions, in particular protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. To overcome critical experimental challenges that one faces when studying low-affinity biomolecular interactions, the Dietz lab is working toward taking advantage of the fine positional control afforded by molecular-self assembly with DNA origami to build nanometer-scale scientific devices that will be used to interface and manipulate target macromolecules and that will enable conformational read-out with single-molecule fluorescence methods and/or with transmission electron microscopy.