Revolution in skin research: Scar-free regeneration in Osnabrück!

Revolution in skin research: Scar-free regeneration in Osnabrück!

On April 15, 2025, the University of Osnabrück announced that Professor Bartscherer had received funding totaling 930,000 euros as part of the “Momentum” program. This support is intended to enable the strategic and content-related further development of his professorship. Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Kühnberger, Vice President for Research at the university, congratulated the scientist on this success and underlined the importance of the program, which supports university professors in the first years of their professional careers.

The “Momentum” program is an initiative aimed at professorships in all disciplines that are between three and five years after their first full-time professorship. The funding can be extended for up to two years with an additional 250,000 euros, although the funds may only be used for specific research purposes. This means that the funding may not be used to relieve the institution's basic budget and cannot help cover budget gaps, such as Volkswagen Foundation emphasized.

Research focus on scar-free regeneration

Professor Bartscherer, who previously led a research group on tissue and organ regeneration at the Max Planck Institute in Münster and at the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, has specialized in the scar-free regeneration of tissues and organs. His academic career began with studying biotechnology and molecular biology in Mannheim and Göttingen, followed by valuable research experience in Heidelberg, New York and Barcelona.

With the new funding, he plans to establish a branch of research that focuses specifically on scar-free skin regeneration. The aim is to build a laboratory platform for growing complex, hair-forming skin from human stem cells. This could not only revolutionize medical research, but also help reduce animal testing. In this context, the aim is to use “3D skin organoids” to test active ingredients and research the mechanisms for preventing scarring.

The funding from the Volkswagen Foundation is part of targeted support for scientific projects that are intended to promote innovation and progress in research. In most tenders, the foundation allows universities and colleges of applied sciences to apply for a certain proportion of overhead costs, which can financially stabilize research operations. However, the funds must be managed according to the foundation's strict guidelines to ensure effective use.

Further information about these funding programs can be found on the Funding database be retrieved. The development of new methods for tissue and skin regeneration has the potential to address numerous medical challenges and improve the quality of life of many people.