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Life is based on the action and interaction of biomolecules, and measuring their structure and dynamics during their function in the living cell can provide invaluable insights into their mechanism. A prime example for a complex and dynamic protein machinery is clathrin-mediated endocytosis, an essential cellular process for the uptake of molecules from the environment. During endocytosis, more than 50 different proteins in many copies self-assemble into a complex machinery that invaginates the membrane and forms a vesicle. But what are the precise locations of the proteins throughout the process of endocytosis? How can we measure the structural organization and dynamic functional changes of cellular protein assemblies? Current technologies are very limited in answering this question.
Our research vision is to develop optical super-resolution microscopy technologies that will allow us to visualize the structure and the dynamics of molecular machines in living cells on the nanoscale. Our interdisciplinary team of physicists, biologists, computer scientists and engineers are developing new approaches for single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) to measure the precise 3D locations of proteins at high throughput and the new MINFLUX technology to probe conformational changes of protein machines in the living cell with nanometer spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. We use these methods to gain mechanistic insights into endocytosis and other cellular protein machines.
Jonas Ries studied physics in Bremen and Konstanz with a specialization in quantum optics. After completing a PhD in biophysics at the TU Dresden in 2008 and a postdoctoral fellowship at the ETH in Zurich in 2012, he joined the EMBL in Heidelberg as a group leader. Since 2023 he is a full professor for Advanced Microscopy and Cellular Dynamics at the Max Perutz labs at the University of Vienna.
Contact: Jonas.ries@maxperutzlabs.ac.at
VBC5
Room: 1.606
+43 1 4277 74380
We developed MINFLUX tracking in 2D and 3D to study the 16 nm steps of the motor protein kinesin while it walks on microtubules in living cells. This is a first step towards monitoring functional conformational changes of protein machines at high spatiotemporal resolution in living systems (Deguchi et al., Science, 2023 - free full PDF version).
We develped a new approach to MINFLUX that we call PhaseFLUX, in which we do not physically move the MINFLUX beam, but instead move the zero position in the beam. This idea will be the basis for a robust, fast and simple open-source MINFLUX microscope (Deguchi & Ries, LSA, 2024).
We developed an approach to learn micorscope point-spread functions (PSFs) from data, either bead stacks or blinking fluorophores in single-molecule localization microscopy (Liu et al, Nature Methods, 2024).
We developed high-throughput super-resolution microscopy and measured the nanoscale distribution of 23 endocytic proteins from >100 000 snapshots of endocytic structures in budding yeast, providing new insights into structure, assembly process, and force generation of the endocytic machinery (Mund et al., Cell, 2018).
How can we analyze huge super-resolution data sets in a meaningful way? We developed LocMoFit, a tool that enables fitting of super-resolution microscopy data to an arbitrary geometric model. The fit extracts quantitative parameters of individual cellular structures, which can be used to investigate dynamic and heterogenous protein assemblies and to create average protein distribution maps (Wu et al., Nature Methods, 2023).
We used 3D single-molecule localization microscopy to measure the precise geometry of the clathrin coat at large numbers of endocytic sites. Through pseudo-temporal sorting, we determined the average trajectory of clathrin remodeling during endocytosis. We developed a new physical model that describes the measured shapes and dynamics and could represent a general mechanism for clathrin coat remodeling (Mund, Tschanz et al., Journal of Cell Biology, 2023).
We developed a software that uses simulator-based inference to localize fluorophores in 3D at high densities, increasing the speed of single-molecule localization microscopy by one order of magnitude. This software outperformed all other software in a public software benchmark on all modalities (Speiser, Müller et al., Nature Methods, 2021).
Amr Abouelezz
PostDoc +43 1 4277 52224
Room: 0.323
Nestor Miguel Duque de Estrada
Senior PostDoc +43 1 4277 52224
Room: 0.612
Pau Garcia
Trainee +43 1 4277 52225
Room: 0323
Philipp Mairinger
Lab Technician +431427752225
Room: 0321
Zach Marin
PostDoc +43 1 4277 52225
Room: 0612
Maxime Mathieu
PostDoc +43 1 4277 52225
Room: 0.612
Ioannis Pitsios
PostDoc +43 1 4277 52225
Room: 0612
Francesco Reina
Lab Manager +43 1 4277 52225
Room: 0612
Jonas Ries
Group Leader +43 1 4277 74380
Room: 1.606
Nikolay Sergeev
PhD Student +43 1 4277 52225
Room: 0612
Universal inverse modeling of point spread functions for SMLM localization and microscope characterization.
Liu Sheng, Chen Jianwei, Hellgoth Jonas, Müller Lucas-Raphael, Ferdman Boris, Karras Christian, Xiao Dafei, Lidke Keith A, Heintzmann Rainer, Shechtman Yoav, Li Yiming, Ries Jonas
Simple and robust 3D MINFLUX excitation with a variable phase plate.
Deguchi Takahiro, Ries Jonas
Direct observation of motor protein stepping in living cells using MINFLUX.
Deguchi Takahiro, Iwanski Malina K, Schentarra Eva-Maria, Heidebrecht Christopher, Schmidt Lisa, Heck Jennifer, Weihs Tobias, Schnorrenberg Sebastian, Hoess Philipp, Liu Sheng, Chevyreva Veronika, Noh Kyung-Min, Kapitein Lukas C, Ries Jonas
Maximum-likelihood model fitting for quantitative analysis of SMLM data.
Wu Yu-Le, Hoess Philipp, Tschanz Aline, Matti Ulf, Mund Markus, Ries Jonas
Nanoscale structural organization and stoichiometry of the budding yeast kinetochore.
Cieslinski Konstanty, Wu Yu-Le, Nechyporenko Lisa, Hörner Sarah Janice, Conti Duccio, Skruzny Michal, Ries Jonas
Clathrin coats partially preassemble and subsequently bend during endocytosis.
Mund Markus, Tschanz Aline, Wu Yu-Le, Frey Felix, Mehl Johanna L, Kaksonen Marko, Avinoam Ori, Schwarz Ulrich S, Ries Jonas
Global fitting for high-accuracy multi-channel single-molecule localization.
Li Yiming, Shi Wei, Liu Sheng, Cavka Ivana, Wu Yu-Le, Matti Ulf, Wu Decheng, Koehler Simone, Ries Jonas
Deep learning enables fast and dense single-molecule localization with high accuracy.
Speiser Artur, Müller Lucas-Raphael, Hoess Philipp, Matti Ulf, Obara Christopher J, Legant Wesley R, Kreshuk Anna, Macke Jakob H, Ries Jonas, Turaga Srinivas C
MINFLUX nanoscopy delivers 3D multicolor nanometer resolution in cells.
Gwosch Klaus C, Pape Jasmin K, Balzarotti Francisco, Hoess Philipp, Ellenberg Jan, Ries Jonas, Hell Stefan W
Nuclear pores as versatile reference standards for quantitative superresolution microscopy.
Thevathasan Jervis Vermal, Kahnwald Maurice, Cieśliński Konstanty, Hoess Philipp, Peneti Sudheer Kumar, Reitberger Manuel, Heid Daniel, Kasuba Krishna Chaitanya, Hoerner Sarah Janice, Li Yiming, Wu Yu-Le, Mund Markus, Matti Ulf, Pereira Pedro Matos, Henriques Ricardo, Nijmeijer Bianca, Kueblbeck Moritz, Sabinina Vilma Jimenez, Ellenberg Jan, Ries Jonas