Calcium ions are an essential carrier of information in the organism and play multiple roles in a large number of cellular processes. In contrast to most other molecules involved in pathways and regulatory nets their IN VIVO behaviour can be studied experimentally in great detail. We are establishing models and simulate the calcium dynamics in hepatocytes and liver tissue in order to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the observed dynamics. This study is done in collaboration with experimentalist (Jane Dixon and Anne Green ( University of Liverpool, UK) and theoreticians (Lars Folke Olsen (University of Odense, DK), Marko Marhl ( University of Maribor, Slowenia) and Susanne Kroemker (IWR, Heidelberg).

Neutrophils are essential for the defense against invading pathogens. Upon activation oscillations in the concentration of several metabolites, e.g. NAD(P)H and reactive oxygen species are observed. Again, modeling and simulation studies are used in this study to help elucidating the mechanism responsible for this important process. The work is done in collaboration with Lars Folke Olsen and Howard Petty.

Glycolysis is THE central metabolic pathway and therefore, one of the best studied biochemical processes in the cell. The group of Martin Bertau (TU Dresden) is investigating biotransformations in yeast cells which are tightly linked to glycolysis. We are doing modeling studies to support this experimental work.