Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Behr, Rüdiger, (apl.) Prof. Dr.

Head of Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center


  • 1995 Diploma in Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster, Germany
  • 1998 PhD in Biology, Institute of Reproductive Medicine, WWU Münster, Germany
  • 1999 - 2005 Post Docs at the Institute of Reproductive Medicine of the WWU Münster; the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Department of Genetics, Philadelphia, PA, USA; and the Institute of Anatomy, Developmental Biology, University of Essen, Germany
  • 2005 - 2008 Head of the Stem Cell Biology Junior Research Group, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
  • 2008 - 2015 Head of Stem Cell Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
  • Since 2016 Head of Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany




Major Research Interests

We are interested in the generation, characterization and genetic modification of pluripotent stem cells (ESCs and iPSCs) from different primate species including humans. We use these stem cells for basic and translational (preclinical) projects. For instance, we differentiate iPSCs into cardiomyocytes. As gene editing technologies we apply different CRISPR/Cas approaches and for gene expression reversible transposon, episomal and self-replicating RNA constructs. Based on our reproductive biology expertise, we are also aiming at the genetic modification of monkeys in order to establish human disease models. They will be used for testing of novel cell and / or gene-based therapies. Finally, we investigate germ cell development in primates.




Homepage Department / Research Group
http://www.dpz.eu/en/platforms/degenerative-diseases/about-us.html



Selected Recent Publications

  • Stauske M, Rodriguez Polo I, Haas W, Knorr DY, Borchert T, Streckfuss-Bömeke K, Dressel R, Bartels I, Tiburcy M, Zimmermann WH, Behr R (2020) Non-Human Primate iPSC Generation, Cultivation, and Cardiac Differentiation under Chemically Defined Conditions. Cells 9(6):1349
  • Wahab F, Drummer C, Mätz-Rensing K, Fuchs E, Behr R (2020) Irisin is expressed by undifferentiated spermatogonia and modulates gene expression in organotypic primate testis cultures. Mol Cell Endocrinol 504:110670
  • Cardoso-Moreira M, Halbert J, Valloton D, Velten B, Chen C, Shao Y, Liechti A, Ascenção K, Rummel C, Ovchinnikova S, Mazin PV, Xenarios I, Harshman K, Mort M, Cooper DN, Sandi C, Soares MJ, Ferreira PG, Afonso S, Carneiro M, Turner JMA, VandeBerg JL, Fallahshahroudi A, Jensen P, Behr R, Lisgo S, Lindsay S, Khaitovich P, Huber W, Baker J, Anders S, Zhang YE, Kaessmann H (2019) Gene expression across mammalian organ development. Nature Jul;571(7766):505-509
  • Wahab F, Drummer C, Schlatt S, Behr R (2017) Dynamic Regulation of Hypothalamic DMXL2, KISS1, and RFRP Expression During Postnatal Development in Non-Human Primates. Mol Neurobiol: 54(10):8447-8457
  • Debowski K, Drummer C, Lentes J, Cors M, Dressel R, Lingner T, Salinas-Riester G, Fuchs S, Sasaki E, Behr R (2016) The transcriptomes of novel marmoset monkey embryonic stem cell lines reflect distinct genomic features. Sci Rep 6: 29122
  • Boroviak T, Loos R, Lombard P, Okahara J, Behr R, Sasaki E, Nichols J, Smith A, Bertone P (2015) Lineage-Specific Profiling Delineates the Emergence and Progression of Naive Pluripotency in Mammalian Embryogenesis. Dev Cell 35:366-82
  • Vogt EJ, Meglicki M, Hartung KI, Borsuk E, Behr R (2012) Importance of the pluripotency factor Lin28 in the mammalian nucleolus during early embryonic development. Development 139:4514-4523