Maria Bohnert

Maria Bohnert serves as Professor at the Institute of Cell Dynamics and Imaging within the Medical Faculty of the University of Münster, where she leads the Bohnert Lab focused on organelle communication and cellular lipid homeostasis. Appointed as Gerty Cori Group leader since September 2018, she actively supervises students through the CiM-IMPRS Graduate Programme and contributes to the Cells in Motion interdisciplinary research cluster.

Her academic foundation includes:

• 2002-2007: Diplom in Molecular Medicine (Dipl.Mol.Med.) from University of Freiburg
• 2007-2011: Doctor rerum naturalium (Dr.rer.nat) from University of Freiburg
• 2012-2015: Postdoctoral research at University of Freiburg
• 2015-2018: Postdoctoral research at Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Bohnert's research program centers on lipid droplet (LD) dynamics and inter-organelle communication, employing robotic high-throughput microscopy screening to identify molecular players in LD contact sites. Her lab investigates how specialized molecular machines physically link organelles to exchange material and information, with particular focus on LD dysfunction in obesity, diabetes, lipodystrophy, and neurological disorders. This work bridges fundamental cell biology with translational implications for metabolic diseases.

Analysis of her recent publications (2020-2025) reveals consistent investigation of organelle contact sites across multiple model systems, with predominant emphasis on lipid droplet interactions with peroxisomes, mitochondria, and vacuoles. Key thematic threads include identification of tethering proteins like Pex3 and seipin partners, metabolic regulation of contact site dynamics, and conserved mechanisms from yeast to mammalian systems. Her work demonstrates increasing methodological sophistication through cryo-EM and live-cell imaging approaches.

As supervisor in the CiM-IMPRS Graduate Programme, Bohnert mentors next-generation scientists within the Cells in Motion research environment. Her lab maintains active collaborations with the Multiscale Imaging Centre and participates in the University Hospital Münster's research infrastructure, operating from the Institute of Cell Dynamics and Imaging facility at Von-Esmarch Str. 56.