Tobias Bonhoeffer
Encyclopedia
Tobias Bonhoeffer is a German
neurobiologist. He is director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
and head of the department Cellular and Systems Neurobiology.
Tobias Bonhoeffer studied physics at the University of Tübingen and conducted the research for his PhD thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
in Tübingen
. Afterwards, he worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Rockefeller University
and at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
in Frankfurt
. He led an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
in Munich
and was appointed Director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in 1998. Since 2008 Bonhoeffer is head of the Biomedical Section of the Max Planck Society
.
Tobias Bonhoeffer's work led to a number of important scientific discoveries. Among these are:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
neurobiologist. He is director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
The Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology is a research institute of the Max Planck Society located in Martinsried, a suburb of Munich in Germany. Research centers on the basic mechanisms and functions of the developing and adult nervous system. Main focus areas include the mechanisms of...
and head of the department Cellular and Systems Neurobiology.
Tobias Bonhoeffer studied physics at the University of Tübingen and conducted the research for his PhD thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics is located in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Society ....
in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
. Afterwards, he worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
and at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
The Max Planck Institute for Brain Research is located in Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded as Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Brain Research in Berlin 1914, and moved into new buildings in Frankfurt 1962...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. He led an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
The Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry is a psychiatric institute in Munich, Germany. It is a part of the Max Planck Society.-History:The Institute was founded as Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Psychiatrie by King Ludwig III of Bavaria in Munich on February 13, 1917. The main force behind the...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and was appointed Director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in 1998. Since 2008 Bonhoeffer is head of the Biomedical Section of the Max Planck Society
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
.
Scientific focus
Tobias Bonhoeffer's scientific research is focused on the cellular foundations of learning and memory, as well as on the early postnatal development of the brain.Tobias Bonhoeffer's work led to a number of important scientific discoveries. Among these are:
- the optical verification of the existence of "pinwheels" in the mammalian visual system via high-resolution microscopic techniques. (Bonhoeffer & Grinvald, Nature 1991)
- the proof that neurotrophinNeurotrophinNeurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival, development, and function of neurons.They belong to a class of growth factors, secreted proteins that are capable of signaling particular cells to survive, differentiate, or grow. Growth factors such as neurotrophins that promote the...
s, and in particular the brain-derived neurotrophic factorBrain-derived neurotrophic factorBrain-derived neurotrophic factor, also known as BDNF, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the BDNF gene. BDNF is a member of the "neurotrophin" family of growth factors, which are related to the canonical "Nerve Growth Factor", NGF...
(BDNF), play a central role in synaptic plasticitySynaptic plasticityIn neuroscience, synaptic plasticity is the ability of the connection, or synapse, between two neurons to change in strength in response to either use or disuse of transmission over synaptic pathways. Plastic change also results from the alteration of the number of receptors located on a synapse...
. (Korte et al., PNAS 1995 & 1996) - the observation that the functional strengthening of synapseSynapseIn the nervous system, a synapse is a structure that permits a neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell...
s goes along with morphological changes of the nerve cell, more specifically with the formation of dendritic spineDendritic spineA dendritic spine is a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite that typically receives input from a single synapse of an axon. Dendritic spines serve as a storage site for synaptic strength and help transmit electrical signals to the neuron's cell body...
s. (Engert & Bonhoeffer, Nature 1999)