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

Professor 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

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

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Our focus
  • G.E.R.N. is the Research Center for Tissue Replacement, Regeneration & Neogenesis of the Freiburg University Medical Center.

  • G.E.R.N.  is an abbreviation of the German name „Gewebeersatz, Regeneration & Neogenese“. GERN has the meaning „gladly“.

  • 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.

  • 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
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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

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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.

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Hot Topics in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

This course is intended for any student interested in this topic.

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Contact

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