Rui Benedito wants to find out how genetic mutations alter the biology of individual cells—and what consequences this has for the development and treatment of diseases. To this end, his team is developing genetic tools that can be used to generate mutations in individual cells in a highly targeted and traceable manner. This enables the researchers to investigate how mutated cells behave in comparison to normal cells over long periods of time in a living organism. They can also study complex disease processes in individual cells.

Another focus of the department is the cardiovascular system. Rui Benedito and his team have deciphered fundamental processes of vascular growth and artery formation. With this knowledge, the researchers want to promote the formation of new blood vessels and arteries after a heart attack, for example. The research also provides a better understanding of the effects and toxicity of drugs that inhibit or promote blood vessel growth.

The department combines state-of-the-art genetics with imaging and single-cell analysis. The tools developed, such as genetic “barcodes” for the simultaneous analysis of many cell types, are significant far beyond cardiovascular research.