Executive Summary

Germany	galactolipid, tocopherol, phylloquinone	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Lipids: Galactolipids, Tocopherol, Phylloquinone, Chloroplast Lipids, Phospholipids, Fatty Acids	scientific
Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics	Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig	++49-341-9715733	04107	Leipzig	Härtelstrasse 16-18	Germany	MALDI, 31P NMR, Phospholipids, Lysophospholipids	We are using using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 31P NMR spectroscopy for the evaluation of physiologicallly relevant phospholipids. Besides methodological work, we are particularly interested in - the activity determination of phospholipases and phosphoinositde kinase - the lipid / phospholipid composition of tissues and body fluids - the changes of the lipid patterns under inflammatory conditions (e.g. in rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis) - the changes of the lipid pattern of cells during differentaition	scientific
Institute for Biology I, Botany	RWTH Aachen University	[phone]	52074	Aachen	Worringerweg 1	Germany	plant glycerolipid isoprenoid	our research focuses on plant lipid metabolism with special interest in formation/function of glycerolipids (glycerophospholipids) and isoprenoids.	scientific
Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Áachen	RWTH-Aachen	++492418089729	52074	Aachen	Pauwelstr. 30	Germany	acyl-CoA, ceramide, liver	Functional characterisation of acyl-CoA synthetase and its products, esp. in gastrointestinal tract and liver. Cellular localisation, concentration and function of acyl-CoAs and lipids.	scientific
Kekulé Institut f. Organische Chemie und Biochemie	Universität Bonn	++49 228 735346	53121	Bonn	Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1	Germany	Sphingolipids, Glykosphingolipids, Sphingolipidoses, Lipid transfer proteins	The research of Konrad Sandhoffs group focuses on sphingolipids and sphingolipidoses. Metabolism of sphingolipids and glycosphingolipids, its function, regulation and topology are studied in vitro at the cellular and organismic level. Sphingolipid disorders are analyzed to clarify human diseases and their molecular and cellular pathogenesis. At the biochemical level, we synthesize sphingolipid probes and analogues to analyze their molecular environment in the cells, and to characterize enzymes and sphingolipid activator proteins involved in sphingolipid metabolism and membrane digestion at lipid-water interphases. We develop lipid transfer assays for the analysis of lipid transfer between membranes by transfer proteins.	scientific
Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry	University Bonn	++49-228-732703	53121	Bonn	Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1	Germany	sphingosine-1-phosphate, ceramide-1-phosphate, neurodegeneration, postoperative ileus.	A)Sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling in terminally differentiated post-mitotic neurons and its implications for the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders. B)The pro-inflammatory functions of sphingosine-1-phosphate and ceramide-1-phosphate and its implications in postoperative ileus.	scientific
Department of Gastroenterology	University Heidelberg	([phone]	69120	Heidelberg	INF 410	Germany	Acyl-CoA synthetases, Lipid droplets, Rafts, inflammatory bowel disease	Acyl-CoA synthetases in fatty acid uptake Lipid droplet formation Lipid rafts in fatty acid uptake Lipid rafts in intestinal inflammation Lipid MS analysis of intestinal mucus	scientific
Insitute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics	University Hospital Leipzig	++49-341-9722407	04103	Leipzig	Liebigstraße 27	Germany	phytosterols, oxysterols, eicosanoids	Sterol lipids: sterol metabolismn and atherosclerosis. Application of LC-MS/MS for the measuerment of free and esterified phtyosterols, lanosterol and cholesterol in serum and tissue. Eicosanoids: Evaluation of a LC-MS/MS method for the measurements of eicosanoids as marker of oxidative stress and inflammation.	scientific
Institute of Biochemistry I	University of Cologne	++49-221-4783656	50931	Cologne	Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52	Germany	lipid droplets, biosensor technology, membrane protein trafficking, endocytosis	Our interest covers the analysis of lipid droplet associated proteins and their function in lipid turnover. Coming from the field of membrane protein trafficking we apply cell based assay based on life cell imaging and conventional confocal immunofluorescence techniques to localize proteins. We further have a long-standing expertise in the analysis of biomolecular interaction analysis using surface-plasmon-based biosensors (BIAcore 3000, T-100). We analyse protein-protein interactions as well as membrane protein interactions by this very sensitive method.	scientific
Biocenter Klein Flottbekand Botanical Garden/Plant Physiology	University of Hamburg	[phone]	D-22609	Hamburg	Ohnhorststr. 18	Germany	sphingolipid, desaturase, glycosyltransferase	Molecularbiology and biochemistry of plant and fungal lipids: Functional characterizations of sterol-, sphingolipid and glycerol lipid-modifying enzymes such as glycosyltransferases and desaturases/hydroxylases.	scientific
Institut of Nutrition	University of jena	++49-03641-949610	D-07743	Jena	Dornburger Str. 24	Germany	metabolism, CLA, omega-3, sterol	fatty acid metabolism, CLA, omega-3 LC-PUFA, sterol metabolism	scientific
Institut for Food Chemistry	University of Muenster	[phone]	48149	Muenster	Corrensstr. 49	Germany	HPLC-MS/MS fumonisin sphingolipids food ceramide synthase	HPLC-MS/MS analysis of sphingolipids Influence of fumonisins on the sphingolipid metabolism	scientific
Leibniz-Institute of Arteriosclerosis Research	University of Münster	[phone]	48149	Münster	Domagkstr. 3	Germany	coronary heart disease, biomarkers, NMR, mass spectrometry	Research on biomarkers related to chd, stroke, Alzheimer disease risk. Specific interest in technologies: H1-NMR, MS-MS, LC-MS, GC-MS.	scientific
Leibniz-Institute of Arteriosclerosis Research	University of Münster	[phone]	48149	Münster	Domagkstr. 3	Germany	coronary heart disease, biomarkers, NMR, mass spectrometry	Research on biomarkers related to chd, stroke, Alzheimer disease risk. Specific interest in technologies: H1-NMR, MS-MS, LC-MS, GC-MS.	scientific
Department of Neurology	University of Regensburg	[phone]	93051	Regensburg	Universitätsstr. 84	Germany	alpha-synuclein, Parkinson, Neurodegeneration, synaptic plasticity	membrane microdomains and alpha-synuclein interaction in synaptic vesicle dynamics and plasticity	scientific
Institute for Clinical Chemistry	University of Regensburg	++49-941-944-6201	93053	Regensburg	Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11	Germany	ABC Transporter, Lipid Biomarker, Biobanking	The research of the institute is directed towards the molecular analysis of metabolic and degenerative diseases. The central role of lipids in the pathogenesis of these disorders is a the main focus of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry. Our strategy combines basic research with clinical association studies enabling a rapid transfer of newly identified candidate markers from basic science to clinical diagnostics in order to support prediction, prevention, and therapy of diseases. The clinical part involves the Regensburg Diabetes Endpoint Prediction and Prevention Study (REDEPPS), an interdisciplinary platform that enables the establishment of large sample and data banks from patients with different endpoints or co-morbidities of diabetes, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, obesity, nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. Candidate markers which are verified for their diagnostic applicability in these cohorts are derived from basic research project focusing on the regulation of lipid homeostasis and vesicular traffic as related to disease pathogenesis. In this context the group has recently identified the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCA1 as a major regulator of HDL metabolism. The function of ABCA1 in the formation of lipid microdomains and vesicular transport is subject of a current project within the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 6031 entitled Membrane Microdomains and Their Role in Human Disease funded by the DFG. The available technologies include high throughput genotyping platforms and DNA-arrays for genetic analysis, protein analysis by MALDI-TOF and the 2D-Gel Typhoon system, multicolour flow cytometry and fluorescence imaging as well as tandem mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy for lipids analysis. The methodological expertise of the institute is complemented by the competence centre for fluorescent bioanalysis (KFB) a public private partnership involving various institutes of the University of Regensburg.	scientific
Department of Physiological Chemistry	University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover	++49-511-953 8780	D-30559	Hannover	Bünteweg 17	Germany	Lipid microdomains, early detergent-resistant membranes, polarized protein sorting, colitis	Membrane transport, polarized protein sorting: role of lipid microdomains/detergent-resistant membranes, Intestinal membrane topology in IBD	scientific
Laboratory of Lipid Analysis	University of Ioannina	[phone]	451 10	Ioannina	Panepistemioupolis	Greece	Lung surfactant, apoptosis, inflammation	Analysis of lung surfactant lipids and their interaction with surfactant proteins Lipids as substrates for phospholipases: metabolism, structural studies, modeling Lipid modifications Lipids and signal transduction Techniques in Lipid Analysis: TLC, gas chromatography, HPLC (normal and reversed phase), Mass spectrometry (FAB, EI), Light scattering	scientific
Laboratory of Nutritional Bioactivation and Bioanalysis	Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen	[phone]	4012	Debrecen	Nagyerdei Krt. 98	Hungary	HPLC MS-MS, retinoic acid, carotenoid, PUFA metabolite	HPLC MS-MS of retinoids, carotenoids and PUFA metabolites (HETEs, HODEs, eicosanoids).	scientific
Laboratory of Molecular Stress Biology	Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, HUng. Acad. Sci.	[phone]	H-6726	Szeged	Temesvari krt. 62.	Hungary	stress sensing, lipid molecular species, mass spectrometry, rafts	Regulation of heat shock gene expression by the physical state, lipid composition, mass spectrometry of lipids, microdomain organization of membranes in different systems, the mechanism of thermoadaptation, stress sensing and signaling, cellular thermosensors, etc.	scientific
Dept of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology	Semmelweis University	36 1 215 6924/3610	1094	Budapest	Tuzolto u. 58	Hungary	caveoae, lipid rafts	In my lab we are very much interested in caveolae, mainly the function of these special lipid raft	scientific
Dept. Biophysics and Cell Biology	University of Debrecen	++36-52-455866	4010	Debrecen	Egyetem ter 1.	Hungary	P-glycoprotein, lipid rafts, cytoskeletal anchorage	We wish to understand the relationships between catalytic activity, conformational changes and topological constraints of the ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp), both in the context of multidrug resistance (mdr) and its physiological roles, also to screen more efficient/ selective Pgp modulators. We are currently focusing on the localization of Pgp within and outside of lipid rafts, in conjunction with its conformational and catalytic characteristics. Our experimental systems include: (A) a novel flow-cytometric method to detect Pgp conformational changes upon its interactions with modulators, based on antibody competition, (B) a flow-cytometric platform for the measurement of raft-, and cytoskeleton-association of cell-surface proteins, applicable for rapid, simple, serial analysis of intermolecular associations between different cell surface proteins, (C) a simple method to completely block Pgp function using an anti-Pgp mAb, (D) a xenotransplantation system in SCID mice to study, by SPECT and PET, the effect of modulators, (E) methods for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements on cell surface proteins to study inter-, and intramolecular distances. We have flow-cytometers, confocal microscope equipped with FCS, expertise in fluorescence-related methods, with special emphasis on FRET.	scientific
Sackler School of Medicine-Minerva Center	Tel Aviv University	972-3-6407842	69978	Tel Aviv	Levanon	Israel	fatty acid desaturases, nutrition,metabolic syndrome	Our interest is to understand the role of fatty acid metabolism : synthesis and desaturation specifically, in pathologies leading to the alteration of glucose and lipid homeostasis.The main emphasis is on nutritional essential fatty acids. We have developed animal and cell culture models of : hypercholesterolemia ,fatty liver and diabetes. We are employing "in vitro" and "in vivo" labelled precursors to follow up lipid synthesis, fatty acid desaturation, cholesterol , bile acid synthesis and lipid composition.We measure the enzymatic pathways involved. We utilize GC, HPLC and TLC methodologies , as well as biochemical and molecular biology determinations. Our purpose is to contribute to the understanding of the impact of nutritional fatty acids on the amelioration of lipid related diseases .	scientific
Dept of Biological Chemistry	Weizmann Institute	++972-8-9342704	76100	Rehovot	1 Herzl Street	Israel	sphingolipids, ceramide, glycolipids	For 15 years. my lab has worked on sphingolipids. We focus on sphingolipid synthesis, and also defective degradation in lysosomal storage diseases. More details can be found at: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/Biological_Chemistry/scientist/futerman/	scientific
ISOF/BioFreeRadicals	Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche	++39-051-639-8309	40129	Bologna	Via Piero Gobetti 101	Italy	trans lipid, radical stress, isomerization	Different aspects of the cis-trans isomerization of fatty acid residues by free radicals are developed: (a) Biomimetic studies using liposomes as a model for cell membranes and correlating the isomerization process with possible mechanisms of lipid alteration occurring in vivo. The role of different vitamins. (b) A general approach has been settled for building-up of trans lipid library with application to lipidomic researches. Analytical data on trans lipids and characterization of these lipid components in living organisms, thus contributing to the lipidomic target. This is also related to the examination of biological samples and correlation between trans lipid and radical stress. Endogenous formation of trans lipids and correlation with quality of life and various pathologies.	scientific
EPR Lipidomics	Dept Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	++39 080 5443367	70126	BARI	V. E. Orabona, 4	Italy	phospholipid bilayer, spin labeling EPR, lipoperoxidation, oxidative stress	Phospholipid bilayer structure and biochemical/biophysical properties. Spin labeling of phospholipids. EPR studies of spin labelled natural and artificial membranes (mitochondria, erythrocyte ghost, lipid vesicles, oriented planar membranes). Lipoperoxidation. Synthesis and purification of oxidized phospholipid species. EPR studies of the effects of oxidized phospholipids in model membranes and in membranes reconstituted with lipidomes from pathological tissues (animal models and humans) and from cultured pathological cell mutants. Mass spectrometry lipidomics of peroxidized phospholipids, mainly lecithins (in collaboration with the local university Chemistry Department).	scientific
Istituto Superiore di Sanità	Dept of Cell Biology and Neurosciences	++39-06-49903087