Dr. Ashraf Al-Amoudi
Group Leader
Dr. Al-Amoudi leads a joint research group of the DZNE and the Forschungszentrum caesar.
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
ashraf.al-amoudi(at)dzne.de
+49 (0) 228 / 43302-550
More information
Areas of investigation/research focus
Our group's aim is to study the following using conventional and cryo-electron microscopy and tomography of sections from cultured cells or primary cell lines from model systems:
- Alteration in the synapse ultrastructure: In particular we are interested in analyzing the three-dimensional architecture of the presynaptic and postsynapatic terminal cytomatrix and the molecular structure of the synaptic cleft of specific inhibitory synapses in normal aging as well as in neural disorder and age-related dementia (e.g. Alzheimer model disease).
- Understanding the mechanism of autophagy in neurodegenerative disorders at the ultrastructural level: Recent identification of autophagosomes in neurons brought up a controversy about whether this process is contributing to a neuroprotective response or inducing cell death. We believe our EM techniques will provide important structural insights on the origin of the membrane structure which develops into autophagosomes and on autophagic processes in normal and disease conditions.
Publications
Structural studies on desmosomes.
Al-Amoudi, A. and Frangakis, A. (2008), Biochem. Soc. Trans. 36, 181-187.
The molecular architecture of cadherins in native epidermal desmosomes.
Al-Amoudi, A., Díez, D., Betts, M. and Frangakis, A. (2007), Nature 450, 832-837.
Fiducial-less Alignment of Cryo-Sections.
Díez, D., Al-Amoudi, A., Glynn AM, and Frangakis, A. (2007), J. Struct. Biol. 159, 413-423.
CEMOVIS. Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections In Modern cryo-preparation methods for electron microscopy.
Dubochet, J., Al-Amoudi, A., Bouchet-Marquis, C., Eltsov, M., Zuber, B. (2007), eds. A. Cavalier, B. M. Humbel and D. Spehner): CRC Press
How to "read" a vitreous section.
Dubochet, j., Zuber, B., Eltsov, M., Bouchet-Marquis, C., Al-Amoudi, A., Livolant, F. (2007), Methods Cell Biol. 79, 385-406.
Cutting artefacts and cutting process in vitreous sections for cryo-electron microscopy.
Al-Amoudi, A., Studer, D., and Dubochet, J. (2005), J. Struct. Biol. 150, 109-121.
Nanostructure of the epidermal extracellular space as observed by cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections of human skin.
Al-Amoudi, A., Dubochet, J., and Norlén, L. (2005), J Invest Dermatol. 124, 764-77.
PhD thesis: Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections of native biological cells and tissues.
Al-Amoudi, A. (2004), Faculty of biology and medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections.
Al-Amoudi, A., Chang, J. J., Leforestier, A., McDowall, A., Salamin, L., Norlén, L., Richter, K., Sartori Blanc, N., Studer, D. and Dubochet, J. (2004), EMBO J. 23, 3583-3588.
Stratum Corneum Keratin Structure, Function, and Formation: The Cubic Rod-Packing and Membrane Templating Model.
Norlén, L. and Al-Amoudi, A. (2004), J. Invest. Dermatol. 123, 715-732.
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections of native biological cells and tissues.
Al-Amoudi, A., Norlén, L., Dubochet, J. (2004), J. Struct. Biol. 148, 131-135.
Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy of Frozen-Hydrated Sections of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Matias, V., R., Al-Amoudi, A., Dubochet, J., and Beveridge, T., J., (2003), J. Bacteriol. 185, 6112-6118.
An oscillating cryo-knife reduces cutting-induced deformation of vitreous ultrathin sections.
Al-Amoudi, A., Dubochet, J., Gnaegi, H., Lüthi, W. and Studer, D. (2003), J. Microsc. 212, 26-33.
A rapid microbiopsy system to improve the preservation of biological samples prior to high-pressure freezing.
Vanhecke, D., Graber, W., Herrmann, G., Al-Amoudi, A., Eggli, P. and Studer, D. (2003), J. Microsc. 212, 3-12
A cryotransmission electron microscopy study of skin barrier formation.
Norlén, L., Al-Amoudi, A., and Dubochet, J. (2003), J. Invest. Dermatol. 120, 555 - 560.
Amorphous solid water produced by cryosectioning of crystalline ice at 113 K.
Al-Amoudi, A., Dubochet, J., and Studer, D. (2002), J. Microsc. 207, 146-153.
A new approach for cryofixation by high- pressure freezing.
Studer, D., Graber, W., Al-Amoudi, A., Eggli, P. (2001, J. Microsc. 203, 285-294.