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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
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Wissenschaft
Why do soap bubbles form spheres? And how do lipids know where they belong within the cell? Two new research groups at Goethe University Frankfurt are addressing fundamental questions in mathematical analysis and cell biology: Whereas Dr. Tobias König is investigating the stability of geometric functional inequalities, Professor Till Stephan is studying how lipids are produced and distributed at contact sites between cellular organelles. Both projects have been awarded funding from the German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Emmy Noether Program.
FRANKFURT. Goethe University is delighted to announce that two of its researchers have been selected for funding under the German Research Foundation’s Emmy Noether Program. Dr. Tobias König from the Institute of Mathematics and Professor Dr. Till Stephan from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences have each successfully secured funding for their individual projects. The program enables them to establish their own independent junior research groups. In total, over €3.1 million in research funding will be allocated to Goethe University – a significant boost for Frankfurt as a research hub. Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff called the grant approvals a major achievement: “The establishment of two Emmy Noether research groups at Goethe University highlights the outstanding quality of our early-career researchers. I warmly congratulate Dr. König and Professor Stephan – and wish them much success and enjoyment as they carry out their projects.”
Mathematical Stability in Natural Phenomena
With Emmy Noether funding amounting to up to €1.3 million, Dr. Tobias König will launch his research project “Geometric functional inequalities and their stability”. His work centers on fundamental mathematical inequalities that underlie natural phenomena – such as why light travels along the shortest path or why soap bubbles are round. While such behavior can often be explained through the concept of energy minimization, much remains unknown about the stability of these optimal states under small perturbations.
“The question that drives us is: What do nearly optimal solutions look like if they deviate from the ideal? And why can’t almost-optimal solutions look completely different from the optimal ones?” says König. “Our goal is to develop new mathematical tools to systematically answer these questions. In doing so, we hope to advance the field of analysis and deepen our understanding of the mathematical principles underlying many natural phenomena.”
Tobias König studied mathematics and theoretical physics at LMU Munich and the École normale supérieure in Paris. He completed his doctorate at LMU with a dissertation on symmetric solutions to variational problems. He has since held postdoctoral positions in Paris and Frankfurt.
How Cells Organize Their Lipid Metabolism
Professor Till Stephan, who joined Goethe University Frankfurt as a professor on May 1, 2025, is investigating a key cellular process that remains only partially understood: the synthesis and transport of lipids – i.e. fat-like molecules – between various organelles within the cell. His focus is on membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum, i.e. the cell’s main site of lipid production, and mitochondria, often referred to as the cell’s “powerhouses”. These highly specialized interfaces enable targeted lipid exchange, which is essential for cellular metabolism. Disruptions in this process have been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
“Cells organize their internal architecture with astonishing precision. I’m interested in how the complex interplay between two major organelles maintains lipid homeostasis – and how this knowledge might help us better understand disease mechanisms,” Stephan explains. In his project – funded with up to €1.8 million – he uses advanced biochemical techniques, mass spectrometry, and state-of-the-art imaging technologies, in particular super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. A recently approved STED microscope for Goethe University’s Riedberg Campus will become a key foundation for this work. This special type of light microscope allows researchers to visualize structures within living cells at resolutions far beyond the limits of conventional light microscopy.
Till Stephan studied biochemistry at Leibniz University Hannover and Hannover Medical School. He completed his doctorate at the University of Göttingen in 2020 with a thesis on the ultrastructural organization of mitochondria. Prior to joining Goethe University Frankfurt, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen.
He is also a member of the interdisciplinary research initiative SCALE (SubCellular Architecture of LifE), which is currently participating in Germany’s national Excellence Strategy competition.
About the Emmy Noether Program
The German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Emmy Noether Program supports exceptionally qualified early-career researchers by enabling them to lead their own independent junior research groups. The funding runs for up to six years and is regarded as a crucial step toward a full professorship in Germany’s academic system. Named after the pioneering mathematician Emmy Noether, the program is one of the country’s most prestigious career development instruments in science and research.
Dr. Tobias König
Institute of Mathematics
Goethe University Frankfurt
+49 (0)69 798 22502
koenig@math.uni-frankfurt.de
Prof. Dr. Till Stephan
Institute for Molecular Biosciences
Goethe University Frankfurt
+49 (0)69 798 42716
t.stephan@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Dr. Tobias König (left, Photo: private) and Prof. Dr. Till Stephan (Photo: Miriam Merkel)
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