The Hof Fluorescence Group is a part of the Biophysical Chemistry Department at the Jaroslav Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS). The main research interest is focused on the development of new fluorescence methods and their application in the research of structure, functionality and dynamics of biomembranes and proteins on the picosecond to millisecond time scale. Moreover, advanced in vivo fluorescence microscopy and the characterization of DNA condensation processes relevant to gene therapy lie in the interest.
The group succeeded to develop and apply several novel fluorescence techniques including the method of time dependent fluorescence shift (TDFS), z-scan Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (z-FCS), Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy (FLCS), Fluorescence Spectral Correlation Spectroscopy (FSCS), Dynamic Saturation Optical Microscopy (DSOM) and Förster resonance Energy Transfer analyzed by Monte-Carlo simulations (MC-FRET) for quantitative size determination of nanodomains. Moreover, the group implemented cutting edge fluorescence techniques (photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM), single particle tracking (SPT), imaging FCS (imFCS) and Thinning Out Clusters while Conserving Stoichiometry of Labeling (TOCCSL)). In addition, the group significantly contributed to further improvements of the existing techniques, e.g. fluorescence antibunching for membrane-associated aggregation phenomena.
Applications of those techniques are connected with current/recent grant projects, like e.g.:
- elucidating the mutual concert of lipids, ions and proteins maintaining the biological processes on cell membranes
- exploring the structure - function relationship of membrane-pore-forming FGF2 oligomers by a single molecule approach
- revealing general mechanisms by which Bax-protein triggers the apoptosis.
- characterizing the effect of membrane constituents on the protein-oligomerization/aggregation associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases with therapeutic outlook
- molecular level physiology and pathology of oxidized phospholipids;
- elucidating the role of dynamic tunnels in enzyme catalysis: simulations and fluorescence experiments.
The group started in 2000 supported by a start-up investment of a Zeiss Confocor 1 FCS Microscope.
The group succeeded to develop and apply several novel fluorescence techniques including the method of time dependent fluorescence shift (TDFS), z-scan Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (z-FCS), Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy (FLCS), Fluorescence Spectral Correlation Spectroscopy (FSCS), Dynamic Saturation Optical Microscopy (DSOM) and Förster resonance Energy Transfer analyzed by Monte-Carlo simulations (MC-FRET) for quantitative size determination of nanodomains. Moreover, the group implemented cutting edge fluorescence techniques (photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM), single particle tracking (SPT), imaging FCS (imFCS) and Thinning Out Clusters while Conserving Stoichiometry of Labeling (TOCCSL)). In addition, the group significantly contributed to further improvements of the existing techniques, e.g. fluorescence antibunching for membrane-associated aggregation phenomena.
Applications of those techniques are connected with current/recent grant projects, like e.g.:
- elucidating the mutual concert of lipids, ions and proteins maintaining the biological processes on cell membranes
- exploring the structure - function relationship of membrane-pore-forming FGF2 oligomers by a single molecule approach
- revealing general mechanisms by which Bax-protein triggers the apoptosis.
- characterizing the effect of membrane constituents on the protein-oligomerization/aggregation associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases with therapeutic outlook
- molecular level physiology and pathology of oxidized phospholipids;
- elucidating the role of dynamic tunnels in enzyme catalysis: simulations and fluorescence experiments.
The group started in 2000 supported by a start-up investment of a Zeiss Confocor 1 FCS Microscope.
- In 2001 the lab was extended by additional rooms and equipment (TCSPC and steady state fluorimeters (IBH, Horiba JY).
- In 2004 the confocal microscope was extended for Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy. The growth of the laboratory was heavily supported by the home institute as well as by the Czech Science Foundation.
- In 2005 the Academy of Sciences financed the built up of a Time Resolved Single Molecule Sensitive Confocal Fluorescence Microscope (PicoQuant, Olympus) and the group became part of the newly founded Department of Biophysical Chemistry.
- In 2006 Martin Hof became the coordinator of the National Research Centre "Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy in Biological and Medical Sciences" that was financed by the Ministry of Education.
- In 2011 Martin Hof was awarded by the PRAEMIUM ACADEMIAE by The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Thanks to that generous award, two wide-field microscopes enabling photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM) and single particle tracking (SPT) were built.
- In 2018 Martin Hof successfully applied for the EXPRO project supporting the excellence in science, which has further accelerated the group research mainly in the field of protein production.