What would it be like if you could zoom into the body to understand exactly what is happening at a cellular and molecular level? Similar to a navigation service, where you can see even the smallest roads? Imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound or fluorescence microscopy play a key role in health research. They help to understand the development of diseases and contribute significantly to early diagnosis and the development of medicines. Until now, however, it has often only been possible to visualize either structural or molecular information. Prof. Dr. Andreas Walter from Aalen University of Applied Sciences now wants to change this. His goal: to develop a globally unique device that can be used to visualize cell architecture and individual molecules at the same time. The biophysicist is now being supported in his research by the EXPLOR funding program of the Abtsgmünder Foundation Kessler + Co. for Education and Culture.
"That would have seemed like science fiction before"
A year ago, Prof. Dr. Andreas Walter was appointed to the professorship for Biomedical Imaging and Biophotonics at Aalen University of Applied Sciences. A field that has fascinated him since his student days at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. Biophotonics (the term is made up of the Greek words "bios" for life and "phos" for light) encompasses the application of light-based technologies to issues in medicine and the life sciences. These technologies have great potential for identifying the causes of diseases, as they can be used to visualize details in the range of millionths of a millimeter. "For example, within living cells, the basic building blocks of all organisms," explains Walter. However, in order to understand the mechanisms behind diseases and develop appropriate drugs, it is also important to find out which molecules are relevant for them. "Such a hybrid microscopy device that combines structural and molecular information does not yet exist anywhere in the world. And that's what I want to develop with my team," says the 40-year-old with a mischievous grin. "It's incredible how microscopy has developed over the past few decades. In the past, this would have seemed like science fiction to most bioscientists. With our research, we want to continue to revolutionize microscopy in order to achieve new successes in the fight against diseases."
Biophysicist instead of doctor
Walter also particularly appreciates the interdisciplinary nature of his field of research. In order to find new solutions, doctors, natural and life scientists and engineers have to work together. In a way, the Rhineland-Palatinate native has come full circle: he had long toyed with the idea of studying medicine or mathematics. But then he decided on physics with a focus on biophysics. "The systematic approach just suits me. And it's an interdisciplinary subject. My research allows me to pursue all my interests and inclinations. I didn't become a doctor, but I still dealt intensively with medical topics," says Walter enthusiastically.
A soft spot for languages
The young professor, who almost looks a bit like a student himself, is not only focused on research, but is also open-minded and curious. After graduating from high school, he lived in Bolivia for a year and a half to work with street children, spent a semester abroad in St. Petersburg and, after completing his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California in San Francisco. No wonder the tall man with the dark, curly hair also has a great passion for languages. In addition to English and French, Walter also speaks Spanish, Russian and Portuguese. "I used to love reading grammar books - it's a bit like mathematics," says Walter and laughs.
"It's a lot of fun"
After his stay in the USA, he worked in Vienna for several years as Director of the Austrian BioImaging/Correlated Multimodal Imaging Node Austria (CMI). This is a joint initiative of leading Austrian experts in the field of imaging in the life sciences. Over time, however, management tasks took up more and more space and research fell further and further behind. "I definitely wanted to do research, and since I was already working as a lecturer in Vienna and I really enjoy teaching, the professorship at Aalen University of Applied Sciences came at just the right time," says Walter. "It's a lot of fun, the practical relevance and the focus on applied research are great. This also makes it easier for our students to choose a career," the father of two sums up after a year of research and teaching.
His magic word is "impact"
Walter is very grateful that the EXPLOR program from the Kessler + Co. Foundation for Education and Culture in Abtsgmünd has now enabled him to really get his research going. "It has enabled me to hire a postdoc to help me with my research. Having someone in the lab is worth its weight in gold," says the scientist happily. "My magic word is 'impact'. Leaving a footprint with my research in which I can improve or simplify something and which has social relevance - that's what drives me."
