Thomas Cremer
Encyclopedia
Thomas Cremer is a German professor of human genetics
and anthropology
with a main research focus on molecular cytogenetics
and 3D/4D analyses of nuclear structure studied by confocal microscopy
and live cell imaging. Thomas Cremer is the brother of the German physicist Christoph Cremer
and Georg Cremer, Secretary General of the German Caritas Association.
. He studied medicine at the Human Medical School, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, where he graduated in 1970 and received his doctoral degree in 1973. From 1974-1978 he was leader of a research group at the Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics, University of Freiburg
followed by a fellowship as research associate at the University of California, Irvine
(1978) in the group of M.W. Berns. From 1978-1996 he headed an independent research group at the Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg. In 1986 he received a Heisenberg scholarship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
combined with a position as visiting professor at the Yale University
, New Haven, Connecticut
in the group of Laura Manuelidis
and David C. Ward. Since 1996 he holds the position as Full Professor, Chair of Anthropology and Human Genetics in the Faculty of Biology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Since 2007 he is Member of the excellence cluster Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich
CIPSM.Thomas Cremer is corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences Heidelberg (2001) and member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2006).
, now considered as the highest level of epigenetic gene regulation, has been the focus of his research since the early 70th.
Together with his brother Christoph Cremer
he pioneered laser-UV-microirradiation experiments that indirectly implied a territorial organization of chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. This finding led Thomas Cremer to his concept of a new field of cytogenetic research, called by him as interphase cytogenetics.
Realization of interphase cytogenetics was achieved during the 1980th where T. Cremer made major contributions to the development of in situ hybridization
techniques to visualize normal and aberrant chromosomes and chromosomal subregions directly in the cell nucleus
and provided direct evidence for chromosome territories (CTs). During the 1990th he realized together with P. Lichter the concept of comparative genomic hybridization
to metaphase chromosomes and to a matrix with DNA spots representing specific genomic sites. During the late 1990th till now his laboratory has made major achievements in 3D multicolor FISH allowing the simultaneous visualization of all human chromosomes in human cells. In addition, he developed methods to visualize individual CTs and nuclear subcompartments to study their dynamics in living cells. T. Cremer has achieved major insight to compare nuclear phenotypes in a variety of species, ranging from primates, birds to the micro- and macronucleus of ciliates with the goal to classify universally valid, species and cell type specific normal features of nuclear architecture and distinguish them from disease correlated features.
2009: Award of the Schleiden Medal of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina for his distinguished scientific work on nuclear architecture with special focus on the topograhy of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Human genetics
Human genetics describes the study of inheritance as it occurs in human beings. Human genetics encompasses a variety of overlapping fields including: classical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, genomics, population genetics, developmental genetics, clinical genetics,...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
with a main research focus on molecular cytogenetics
Molecular cytogenetics
Molecular cytogenetics involves the combination of molecular biology and cytogenetics. In general this involves the use of a series of techniques referred to as fluorescence in situ hybridization, or FISH, in which DNA probes are labeled with different colored fluorescent tags to visualize one or...
and 3D/4D analyses of nuclear structure studied by confocal microscopy
Confocal microscopy
Confocal microscopy is an optical imaging technique used to increase optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by using point illumination and a spatial pinhole to eliminate out-of-focus light in specimens that are thicker than the focal plane. It enables the reconstruction of...
and live cell imaging. Thomas Cremer is the brother of the German physicist Christoph Cremer
Christoph Cremer
Christoph Cremer is a German physicist and professor at the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, who has successfully overcome the conventional limit of resolution that applies to light based investigations by a range of different methods Christoph Cremer (born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)...
and Georg Cremer, Secretary General of the German Caritas Association.
Biography
Thomas Cremer was raised in AachenAachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
. He studied medicine at the Human Medical School, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, where he graduated in 1970 and received his doctoral degree in 1973. From 1974-1978 he was leader of a research group at the Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics, University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
followed by a fellowship as research associate at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
(1978) in the group of M.W. Berns. From 1978-1996 he headed an independent research group at the Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg. In 1986 he received a Heisenberg scholarship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is an important German research funding organization and the largest such organization in Europe.-Function:...
combined with a position as visiting professor at the Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, New Haven, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in the group of Laura Manuelidis
Laura Manuelidis
Laura Manuelidis is a physician and neuropathologist at Yale University. She earned her B.A. degree from Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied poetry, and her M.D. from Yale Medical School. She is head of the section of Neuropathology in the department of Surgery at Yale. She is also on the...
and David C. Ward. Since 1996 he holds the position as Full Professor, Chair of Anthropology and Human Genetics in the Faculty of Biology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Since 2007 he is Member of the excellence cluster Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich
Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich
The Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich is a cluster of excellence in sciences located in Munich. It is an association of research groups of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the Technical University of Munich, the Helmholtz Center Munich, and the Max Planck Institutes of...
CIPSM.Thomas Cremer is corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences Heidelberg (2001) and member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2006).
Scientific Contributions
Thomas Cremer was an early supporter of the idea that higher order chromatin arrangement and the architecture of the nucleus are essential for cardinal nuclear functions. Spatial organization of chromatinChromatin
Chromatin is the combination of DNA and proteins that make up the contents of the nucleus of a cell. The primary functions of chromatin are; to package DNA into a smaller volume to fit in the cell, to strengthen the DNA to allow mitosis and meiosis and prevent DNA damage, and to control gene...
, now considered as the highest level of epigenetic gene regulation, has been the focus of his research since the early 70th.
Together with his brother Christoph Cremer
Christoph Cremer
Christoph Cremer is a German physicist and professor at the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, who has successfully overcome the conventional limit of resolution that applies to light based investigations by a range of different methods Christoph Cremer (born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)...
he pioneered laser-UV-microirradiation experiments that indirectly implied a territorial organization of chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. This finding led Thomas Cremer to his concept of a new field of cytogenetic research, called by him as interphase cytogenetics.
Realization of interphase cytogenetics was achieved during the 1980th where T. Cremer made major contributions to the development of in situ hybridization
In situ hybridization
In situ hybridization is a type of hybridization that uses a labeled complementary DNA or RNA strand to localize a specific DNA or RNA sequence in a portion or section of tissue , or, if the tissue is small enough , in the entire tissue...
techniques to visualize normal and aberrant chromosomes and chromosomal subregions directly in the cell nucleus
Cell nucleus
In cell biology, the nucleus is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these...
and provided direct evidence for chromosome territories (CTs). During the 1990th he realized together with P. Lichter the concept of comparative genomic hybridization
Comparative genomic hybridization
Comparative genomic hybridization or Chromosomal Microarray Analysis is a molecular-cytogenetic method for the analysis of copy number changes in the DNA content of a given subject's DNA and often in tumor cells....
to metaphase chromosomes and to a matrix with DNA spots representing specific genomic sites. During the late 1990th till now his laboratory has made major achievements in 3D multicolor FISH allowing the simultaneous visualization of all human chromosomes in human cells. In addition, he developed methods to visualize individual CTs and nuclear subcompartments to study their dynamics in living cells. T. Cremer has achieved major insight to compare nuclear phenotypes in a variety of species, ranging from primates, birds to the micro- and macronucleus of ciliates with the goal to classify universally valid, species and cell type specific normal features of nuclear architecture and distinguish them from disease correlated features.
Scientific awards
2005: Maffo Vialli International Award for Histochemistry for pioneering contributions to the study of higher order chromatin arrangement through laser-UV microirradiation and fluorescence based molecuar cytogenetics2009: Award of the Schleiden Medal of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina for his distinguished scientific work on nuclear architecture with special focus on the topograhy of chromosomes in the nucleus.
External links
- http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/Chromosome-Territories-The-Arrangement-of-Chromosomes-in-3025 Interesting information on chromosome territories by Tom Misteli
- http://humangenetik.bio.lmu.de/service/downloads/buch_tc/index.html Book "Von der Zellenlehre zur Chromosomentheorie" written by Thomas Cremer
- Georg Cremer