FORM (Frankfurt Orofacial Regenerative Medicine)
FORM-Lab is situated at the Medical Center of the Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany). As the research arm of the Department for Oral, Cranio-Maxillofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery, FORM-Lab was founded in 2007 by Dr. Shahram Ghanaati with the support of Prof. Robert Sader and Prof. James Kirkpatrick, in collaboration between Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz.
Our state-of-the-art research facility spans over 300 square meters and adheres to strict S1 and S2 guidelines.
Within FORM-Lab, we offer a range of equipment and expertise for both in vitro and in vivo research, particularly in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering.
The in vitro unit includes tissue culture workplaces with CO2 incubators, sterilizers and sterile hoods. There are also additional workplaces for protein quantification and analyses using ELISA, Western Blot technique, PCR, real time PCR and enzyme activity assays.
The histology (in vivo) unit, a cornerstone of our research, is fully equipped for standard and specialized histological techniques, following a standardized workflow. This includes automated tissue processing, embedding stations, and rotary microtome for section preparation. Furthermore, we offer various staining stations for several histochemical stains and automated immunohistochemical staining via Autostainer.
Image analysis is central to our research, and our imaging unit comprises workstations with specialized software for image analysis and histomorphometry. We have a range of light microscopes, fluorescence microscope and a molecular imager. Additionally, we employ a high-resolution scanning microscope with “total scan technology”connected to a PC with analysis software for digitizing histological slides and generating total scans for histomorphometry and image analysis. Our lab is also authorized to access advanced microscopes at Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences including Leica TCS SP5, Leica AF 6000 with JPK Nano-wizard 2, Keyence BIOREVO X, Zeiss Cell Observer, and more.
At FORM-Lab, we are committed to cutting-edge research and offer a comprehensive range of resources to support our scientific endeavors.
Development of FORM-Lab
FORM-Lab was founded on the expertise transferred from the Repair-Lab in vivo group, initiated by Dr. Ghanaati under Prof. Kirkpatrick at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. Initially, it reintroduced in vivo surgical models and histological techniques in Frankfurt, later expanding to encompass in vitro methods, with a focus on biomaterials and tissue engineering.
Research at FORM-Lab centers on understanding cellular responses to biomaterials and their impact on in vivo vascularization, utilizing soft and hard tissue models. In vitro evaluation includes 2-D and 3-D cell culture systems with biomaterials as extracellular matrices. Additionally, tissue-like constructs are formed using biomaterials and cancer cell lines for evaluating chemotherapeutic substances in oncological research.
As part of the university hospital, FORM-Lab encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between clinicians and scientists, driven by clinical experiences in oro-maxillofacial surgery. Emphasizing the translation of research into clinical applications, the lab has developed biomaterials for tissue regeneration and "smart" blood concentrates based on platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), with a focus on histological and clinical evaluation in bone and tissue regeneration.
The lab also fosters an international environment, offering internships to facilitate knowledge exchange and support for young scientists.