Research Groups
Dr. Sakmann, with physicist Erwin Neher, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1991 for their discoveries on single channels in cells, enabled by their invention of the patch-clamp technique. This ground-breaking technical achievement made it possible to examine, in real time, the operation of individual ion channel proteins. Ion channels are found in the membranes of virtually all cells and create selective pores across membranes that are vital for electrical signaling. Sakmann and Neher examined a broad range of cellular functions, eventually discovering the role that ion channels play in diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, several cardiovascular diseases and certain neuromuscular disorders. This technique forged new paths in the study of membrane physiology and the creation of novel therapeutics targeting ion channels. In fact, the Nobel Prize committee credited the two scientists with revolutionizing modern biology.
More recently Dr. Sakmann’s research has focused on the functional anatomy of circuits in the brain – specifically the cerebral cortex – that form the basis of simple behaviors (e.g. decision making). His research involves the use of large scale, high resolution light- and electron-microscopic techniques to reconstruct the wiring of different cell types in the layers of the brain. The results are used to realistically simulate signal flow in the reconstructed network. Eventually, this may reveal the parts of the network that trigger sensory initiated behavior and lead to new discoveries about the brain’s process of learning.
Dr. Sakmann’s research group is conducting a program dedicated to creating a three-dimensional map of the normal brain. They are labeling the different cell types with specific fluorescent markers and then imaging and quantifying the neuron distributions. This work will lay the foundation for future studies on brain degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's. The research will not only help further our basic understanding of the degenerative disease process, but could also serve as a platform to measure the beneficial changes caused by novel therapeutic approaches such as new drugs and stem cell therapy.
