More about the cytometry community

About us

The German Society for Cytometry - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zytometrie, DGfZ

Founded in 1989 in Heidelberg by pioneers of cytometry, the DGfZ began as a networking platform for researchers in flow and image cytometry. Today, it is a leading interdisciplinary society, with its members dedicated to advancing the study, communication, and innovation of cytometry across Germany.

The DGfZ community

engages in exploration, analysis, and understanding of cells across scientific disciplines, uniting life sciences, engineering, (bio-)informatics, and more. Our members work on the cutting edge of immunology, oncology, pathology, microbiology, plant sciences, and ecology—areas where cellular analysis plays a critical role.

DGfZ members continue to drive forward technological progress by developing cutting-edge instruments, assays, and applications (LINK publication list). The society supports knowledge transfer through a solid foundation of core facility members, technicians, researchers, industry professionals, and an annual conference, which has become a cornerstone of the DGfZ community.

Our DGfZ annual meeting embodies the society’s mission to foster scientific exchange and collaboration. It provides a friendly and stimulating environment, where graduate students, post-docs, established scientists, and core facility members alike engage in presentations, interdisciplinary dialogue and networking, with strong support also from industry partnerships. Known for its welcoming atmosphere, top-quality presentations and educational workshops, affordable registration, and legendary evening social event, the conference has become a highlight of the DGfZ calendar.

DGfZ Board

Oliver Otto

President of the DGfZ

University Greifswald
Zelluläre Biophysik

The research group Cellular Biophysics at the University of Greifswald develops label-free cytometry methods based on the biophysical properties of cells and tissues.

The research group of Oliver Otto focuses on understanding of how mechanical properties of cells and tissue impact on biological function. Specifically, he is interested in the development of label-free flow cytometry methods to study the rheology of single cells and multicellular systems at high spatiotemporal resolution.
Oliver received his PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge (UK), where he investigated single molecule dynamics. In 2012, he joined the Technical University of Dresden (Germany) as a postdoctoral researcher and in 2016 he moved to the University of Greifswald (Germany) as an independent group leader. In both assignments he worked on the translation of high-throughput screenings into the field of cell mechanics. Since 2021, Oliver Otto is a Professor for Cellular Biophysics at the Physics Institute of the University of Greifswald (Germany).
Oliver Otto is also co-founder of the start-up company Zellmechanik Dresden, which commercializes real-time deformability cytometry, a technology for high-throughput characterization of cell mechanical properties.

Claudia Giesecke-Thiel

Vice President of the DGfZ

Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics
Berlin

Founding head of the Flow Cytometry Facility at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin. Now returning to establish my own lab, focusing on imprints of human immune memory shaped by antigen nature and exposure topography. B cell enthusiast and co-innovator in Flow Cytometer Standardization and Pulse Shape Flow Cytometry.

Thomas Kroneis

Secretary of the DGfZ

Medical University of Graz
Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology

Slide-based Cytometry – Microchimerism, my field of research, is based on the analysis of rare cells (and their DNA, RNA, etc.), e.g. maternal cells in fetal tissues or fetal cells in the tissue of the mother. For detection, we use the toolbox of slide-based cytometry. Among others, we use fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and other in situ techniques to identify and verify microchimeric cells as well as interpret their biology in a spatial context (Spatial Biology).

Thomas Kroneis received his doctorate in Medical Sciences at Medical University of Graz (PhD equivalent; distinction) in 2009 working on rare cell analysis in the context of non-invasive prenatal diagnostics based on fetal cells circulating in the peripheral blood of pregnant women. In 2014, he was awarded a 3-year Marie Curie Fellowship allowing him to join the lab of Prof. Stahlberg in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he expanded his knowledge on single-cell RNA analyses. Back in Austria, he habilitated in Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology (venia docendi) in 2018, and was appointed 2nd deputy chair of the Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology. In 2021, he started a research group and became the leading principal investigator of an international consortium running a 5.3 M USD project on microchimerism. Since 2022 Dr. Kroneis is assigned faculty member of the PhD Program Molecular Medicine at Medical University of Graz.
E-mail: thomas.kroneis@medunigraz.at
Team website: https://www.medunigraz.at/team-thomas-kroneis
Microchimerism website: https://microchimerism.info/

Christian von Rein

Tresurer of the DGfZ

Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf

I work at the institute in the ‘Service Group Cytometry’ as an operator for the flow cytometers and microscopes. This means that I am mainly responsible for the practical/technical part.