Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

The tissue-immune cell interface plays a pivotal role in maintaining integrity and homeostasis at mucosal barrier sites. Yet much of this complex biology remains poorly understood, in part due to the historical immunological focus on lymphoid tissues and cells. Our research centers on the interactions between innate tissue-resident immune cells and non-immune cells within their respective tissue niches, with a particular focus on the lung and the intestine. We aim to understand how these interactions shape organ physiology during fetal development and contribute to tissue homeostasis and inflammation in adulthood. Our group is developing tools to visualize how epithelial cells become engaged or activated in response to environmental cues, with the goal of uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms that initiate their subsequent interactions with innate immune cells.

Special Expertise

• advanced genetic mouse tools to study tissue-immune crosstalk in lung and intestine
  
• gene editing in intestine and lung organoid cultures
  
• alveolar macrophages and GM-CSF
  
• helminth infection models and type 2 immunity
  
• tuft cells and ILC2s
  
• macrophage ontogeny and fate-mapping
  
• proximity labeling
  

Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure

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