Marc Thilo Figge

Prof. Dr. Marc Thilo Figge serves as Professor (W3) for Applied Systems Biology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Head of the Applied Systems Biology Research Group at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) since 2011. His career spans theoretical physics, computational biology, and infection research, with significant leadership roles in national research initiatives including NFDI4Bioimage, DFG Research Training Groups, and the Excellence Cluster 'Balance of the Microverse'.

His research focuses on three interconnected pillars:

• Host-pathogen interactions of human pathogenic fungi
• Automated image analysis through the open-source JIPipe platform
• Spatiotemporal computer simulations of infection dynamics

These areas combine experimental microbiology with computational modeling to address fundamental questions in infection biology.

Analysis of his 2025 publications reveals strong interdisciplinary output spanning microbiology, computational biology, and biomedical engineering. His work demonstrates consistent methodological innovation in image analysis (particularly through JIPipe) and computational modeling of fungal infections, with increasing applications in rapid diagnostics and organ-on-chip technologies. The publications show growing international collaboration and methodological transfer between fungal pathogenesis and broader infection biology contexts.

His scientific recognition includes:

• medac Research Award (2023 and 2024)
• Adjunct Fellowship at Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (2011-2017)
• Editorial roles at PLOS Complex Systems, Biological Imaging, and Scientific Reports

Prof. Figge maintains an active supervision program with approximately 14 students across multiple graduate schools, supported by substantial funding from DFG, BMBF, and Leibniz Association initiatives. His group participates in the International Leibniz Research School and Jena School for Microbial Communication, with strong connections to the Microverse Imaging Center's advanced microscopy facilities. He regularly organizes the biennial international symposia on Image-based Systems Biology (IbSB) and Systems Biology of Microbial Infection (SBMI), fostering global collaboration in the field.

The Applied Systems Biology group operates at the intersection of physics, computer science, and infection biology, developing computational tools that have gained international adoption in bioimage analysis. Current projects emphasize translation of fundamental research into diagnostic applications, particularly through microfluidics and organ-on-chip technologies.