Many of the phenotypes in human kidney disease are only detectable at the ultrastructural level. This holds also true for the model systems of genetic and epigenetic based disturbances of renal development, biology or aging. Our group applies transmission and scanning microscope techniques in human and animal tissue (e.g. mouse, rat, zebrafish, drosophila) in order to detect and characterize subtle ultrastructural alterations e.g. of the glomerular filtration barrier, the actin cytoskeleton or intracellular vesicle formation and trafficking at a qualitative and quantitative level. Moreover, pre- and post-embedding immunogold labelling allow us to follow subcellular redistribution of proteins under disease conditions.

We are currently establishing freeze fracture/replica immunogold labelling of kidney tissue and correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) especially in combination with 3D clarity immunofluorescence imaging in order to broaden our toolbox for the analysis and understanding of renal structural alterations in disease.