At the Work Group Histology and Embryology we are engaged in the areas of basic as well as applied, experimental research, which we combine with microscopic and molecular biological topics. By means of special preparation methods, the cellular components of different tissue types may be visualized under a microscope and studied. Hereby, various staining techniques enable the localization of specific molecules (proteins) in individual cell compartments. These techniques represent an important link to molecular biology. In order to test the behaviour of cells under experimental conditions and be able to more precisely define the function of specific molecules, our Institute has a plethora of established cell culture systems. In addition to customary two-dimensional cell cultures, a variety of three-dimensional cell culture system models were developed at our Institute, which simulate the natural environment of cells and thus reproduce “life-like” conditions in the laboratory.