JLU immunologist Andreas Krueger joins with a project on miRNAs in T cell development
While the RTG’s renewal proposal was under evaluation, molecular immunologist Prof. Dr. Andreas Krueger was appointed as a professor at the Justus Liebig University Giessen. With his expertise on microRNAs (miRNAs) and their role in the development and regeneration of immune cells, Andreas Krueger was a great addition to the university’s focus on RNA biology. Furthermore, he constituted an excellent fit to the research programme of our RTG, and we are therefore happy to announce that the DFG recently approved funding for an additional RTG-project lead by Andreas Krueger: Together with doctoral candidate Hanna Steede, he will investigate how structural features of the mRNA targets and other context-dependent factors contribute to miRNA function in developing T cells.
Andreas Krueger’s laboratory previously characterized the roles of multiple miRNAs: They discovered that miR-191 critically contributes to B-cell development by controlling balanced levels of master transcription factors; that miR-17~92, a cluster of 6 miRNAs, controls T cell fitness through improved reactivity towards “pro-survival” cytokines; that miR-21 modulates expression of the T lineage commitment factor Bcl11b; and that miR-181a/b-1, a miRNA prominently expressed in developing T cells, critically controls the formation of unconventional T cells. Currently, the Krueger lab is working to harness the potential of miRNAs to improve cellular T-cell-based therapeutics. The group contributes profound experience in cell culture and animal models, including their genetic modification through CRISPR technology, and immunological methods to the RTG. Furthermore, they have recently implemented a multi-omics (RNA-seq and mass spectrometry-based) approach to study the miR-181 targetome in the physiological context of a mammalian system. Since Hanna Steede’s and Andreas Krueger’s project within the RTG is of a highly collaborative nature, it will foster interactions with multiple other projects within the consortium and result in rapid integration of the new members into our network. Welcome, Hanna Steede, and welcome, Andreas Krueger!