The work we do
Cell-biomaterial interactions
Targeted therapy for immune dysregulation
Bioceramics
Engineering cell shape
Regeneration of muscle tissues
May the force be with you
Spatial organization as diagnostic marker
3D cell culture models for oral tissue research
Microfluidic 3D cultures
Inflammation and regeneration
Biomechanical / mechano-biological characterization
Translational cell therapy for cartilage lesions
Damping behavior of the knee
Additive manufacturing
Organosolv lignin in medicine
Prediction of macrophage phenotype and IL-10 production
Biological effects of extractables & leachables
A.I. in biological and clinical settings
WE ARE PROUD TO HOST TERMIS EU 2025
Meet the team
Professor Bernd Rolauffs, M.D.
Director of the G.E.R.N. Research Center
Section Head, Translational Medicine for Cell-Based Therapies
W3 Univ.-Professor in Tissue Replacement
Dept. of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Freiburg University Medical Center
ACADEMIC DEGREES
Habilitation at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
Doctor of Medicine, Medical Faculty of University of Münster, Germany
Postdoctoral
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
Dept. of Biochemistry, Rush University, Chicago, USA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Boston, USA
Orthopedic RESIDENCY
Tübingen University Medical Center and BG Trauma Center Tübingen, Germany
Münster University Medical Center, Germany
Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK
Assoc. Prof. (PD) Melanie Hart, Ph.D.
Dept. of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery Freiburg University Medical Center
Section Head, Immunomodulation and Regenerative Medicine
ACADEMIC DEGREES
Habilitation at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
Doctor of Philosophy (Immunology and Microbiology), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology / Pre-Medicine, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, USA
Postdoctoral
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA
Tübingen University Medical Center and BG Trauma Center Tübingen, Germany
Former ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA
Assoc. Prof. (PD) Brigitte Altmann, Ph.D.
Dept. of Prosthetic Dentistry Freiburg University Medical Center
Section Head, Cell Biology-inspired Oral Tissue Regeneration
ACADEMIC DEGREES
Habilitation at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany
Doctor of Philosophy (Biology), Heidelberg University and Institute for Biological Interfaces-1, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Diploma in Biology, University of Karlsruhe, Germany
Postdoctoral
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
Institute for Biological Interfaces-1, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Dept. of Oral, Maxillofacial, & Regional Plastic Surgery, Freiburg University Medical Center, Germany
Dept. of Prosthetic Dentistry, Freiburg University Medical Center, Germany
Assoc. Prof. (PD) Michael Seidenstücker, Dr. Ing.
Dept. of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery Freiburg University Medical Center
Acting Section Head, Musculoskeletal Biomaterials
ACADEMIC DEGREES
Habilitation at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany
Dr.-Ing., IMTEK University of Freiburg and University Freiburg Medical Center, Germany
Dipl. Ing., Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany
Postdoctoral
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
Medical Center of the University of Freiburg
Our focus
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G.E.R.N. is the Research Center for Tissue Replacement, Regeneration & Neogenesis of the Freiburg University Medical Center.
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G.E.R.N. is an abbreviation of the German name „Gewebeersatz, Regeneration & Neogenese“. GERN has the meaning „gladly“.
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G.E.R.N. focuses on clinically motivated questions and regenerative medicine problems that are relevant to the therapy of musculoskeletal, oral, maxillofacial and dental tissues. The goal is to improve methods and clinical applications for tissue replacement, regeneration & neogenesis and to enhance our scientific understanding of this field.
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G.E.R.N. also develops strategies, tools, and methods for improving the diagnosis of early pre-clinical disease states, whose clinical detection is currently not possible.
We are proud to host the TERMIS-EU 2025 conference in Freiburg
Supporting board of clinical directors
Univ.-Prof. Hagen Schmal, M.D.
Dept. of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery Freiburg University Medical Center
Univ.-Prof. Rainer Schmelzeisen, M.D.
Dept. of Oral, Maxillofacial, & Regional Plastic Surgery Freiburg University Medical Center
Univ.-Prof. Fabian Cieplik, M.D.
Dept. of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology Freiburg University Medical Center
Univ.-Prof. Benedikt Spies, M.D.
Dept. of Prosthetic Dentistry Freiburg University Medical Center
Supporting Former Medical Faculty
Univ.-Prof. Norbert Südkamp, M.D.
Former Dean of the Medical Faculty
Former Director of the Dept. of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery
Medical Faculty, Freiburg University
Univ.-Prof. Elmar Hellwig, M.D.
Former Director of the Dept. of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology
Medical Faculty, Freiburg University
Organization
Pooled resources and common interests create better research
To create G.E.R.N., three Departments of the Freiburg University Medical Center and a research chair have joined their resources and their research interests in 02/2017:
Dept. of Orthopedics & Trauma Surgery
Dept. of Oral, Maxillofacial, & Regional Plastic Surgery
Dept. of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology
Chair of Tissue Replacement
G.E.R.N. has been elevated from co-joined laboratories to the official status of a Center of the Freiburg University Medical Center on April 1st, 2019
The Offenburg University has joined our research endeavor. Our shared link is biotechnology, as this is an important research and teaching focus across Offenburg faculties.
The Furtwangen University (HFU) is a long-term cooperation partner of G.E.R.N., as we share interests in biomedical and biotechnology research and in fostering student career readiness.
G.E.R.N. consists of the following sections:
Section of Translational Medicine for Cell-Based Therapies
Section of Musculoskeletal Biomaterials
Section of Immunomodulation and Regenerative Medicine
Section of Dental and Periodontal Regenerative Medicine
Section of Cell Biology-inspired Bone Regeneration
Philosophy
As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.
Die Zukunft soll man nicht voraussehen wollen, sondern möglich machen.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Our Equipment
APPLICATION OF BIOMECHANICAL FORCES
Incubator-housed bioreactor for applying compression and shear to cell-loaded
biomaterials or explants – M.I.T. Biomedical Engineering
Incubator-housed bioreactor for applying tension / stretch to cells and/or
biomaterials (ElectroForce-5210) – TA, formerly Bose
LIVE SINGLE CELL NANOINDENTATION
Chiaro Nanoindenter – OPTICS11 – coupled to an AxioObserver Z1 with temperature and atmospheric control
IMAGING
AxioObserver Z1, Definite Focus 2, Scanning Table, ApoTome,
Incubation with temperature and CO2 control, High-End Workstation – Zeiss
3D Laser scanning microscope – KEYENCE
Fluorescence microscope – OLYMPUS
mRNA AND PROTEIN ANALYSES
QX200 AutoDG Droplet Digital PCR System – Bio-Rad
Odyssey CLx – LI-COR
EnSight Multilabel Reader – PerkinElmer
3D PRINTING
3D-Bioplotter Developer Series – EnvisionTEC
MK3S+ 3D Printer – Prusa
SV04 dual head 3D Printer – Sovol
LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEM
SHIMADZU HPLC
Performance
Accumulative data as of March 2024
International Lab Exchange between the Universities of Michigan and Freiburg
Germany – USA Lab Exchange Program
We offer the possibility of an international laboratory experience through a student exchange between the CMITE lab (Cell-Matrix Interactions and Tissue Engineering) in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan and G.E.R.N..
This exchange allows students from either the University of Michigan or the University of Freiburg to gain tissue engineering and regenerative medicine hands-on laboratory research experience.
Benefits
• Professionally mentored laboratory experience abroad
• Hands-on translational science in an established research endeavor between the two laboratories
• Embed your thesis into this opportunity
• Broaden your scientific career aims
• Improve your language skills and experience another culture
Eligibility
• Students already admitted to the Global Exchange Program can, in addition to participating in classes, participate in the G.E.R.N. – CMITE lab exchange. In this case, you must be enrolled at the University of Freiburg or the University of Michigan at the time of application and for the entirety of the stay abroad.
• Students not funded by the Global Exchange Program can also participate
If you are interested, we strongly suggest that you contact Prof. Bernd Rolauffs at G.E.R.N. or Prof. Jan Stegemann at the University of Michigan in the Department of Biomedical Engineering as early as possible to learn more about our research, the exchange program and funding possibilities.
Contact details
Professor Bernd Rolauffs
Engesserstraße 4 · 79108 Freiburg, DE
Please use the contact form on this website
Professor Jan Stegemann
jpsteg@umich.edu
Lurie Biomedical Engineering Bldg
University of Michigan
1101 Beal Avenue · Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2110, USA
CMITE Lab
Bachelor, Master and Medical Doctorate Theses
The G.E.R.N. laboratory offers a wide variety of topics for Bachelor, Master and Medical Doctorate theses. In practice, theses usually focus on one research objective that is part of a broader research project. For a perspective on our research areas, please have a look at our research topics and our actual publication lists.
If you are interested in pursuing your thesis in our laboratory, please contact us with your interests, your CV, and any other relevant information that will help us to select you to be a part of our team.
Courses offered
We offer the following courses:
Introduction to Tissue Engineering and Cellular Therapies in Regenerative Medicine
This course is intended for medical students of the University of Freiburg and for students from the University College Freiburg that are studying Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS students). The course is accredited for both types of students.
Hot Topics in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
This course is intended for any student interested in this topic.
This course is intended for those who are doing their thesis work at the G.E.R.N. Center.
Contact
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