To the cell biologist, neurons as the most complex cells of all clearly represent the greatest challenge, with glial cells being a somewhat neglected, but increasingly fascinating, runner-up. A major task of these groups is to study such topics also in the context of neural development.
Developmental biologists are no less attracted by the nervous system than cell biologists.
Fundamental biological phenomena such as pattern formation, cell assembly into functional units, and cell determination are much more complex in the nervous system than in other organs. Developmental biologists have been unravelling the underlying molecular mechanisms, primarily by genetic and immunological approaches. During the past five years, one group has left and four additional ones have joined. In the same year, Roland Brandt from Harvard University joined the Department.