Department of Natural Sciences

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Prof. Dr Richard Jäger

Dean/Professor for Biology, espec. Forensic Biology

richard.jaeger@h-brs.de

Unit

Department of Natural Sciences, Institute for Functional Gene Analytics (IFGA), Institute for Safety and Security Research (ISF)

Research fields

  • Forensic DNA Analysis Next Generation Sequencing
  • Next Generation Sequencing

Location

Rheinbach

Room

I 210

Address

von-Liebig-Str. 20

53359, Rheinbach

Telephone

+49 2241 865 526

Profile

Lehrveranstaltungen

ehemalige Veranstaltungen:

  • Programmed Cell Death (Special field, 3. Sem. MSc Biomedical Sciences)
  • Advanced Forensic DNA typing (WPF 5. Sem. BSc Naturwissenschaftliche Forensik)
 
current research fields
  • forensic STR analysis, low copy number DNA
  • forensic application of NGS
 
previous research fields
  • Roles of cell death in tumorigenesis
  • Development and tumorigenesis of the mammary gland
  • transgenic mice (conditional systems, gene targeting)
  • ER stress
 
functions in the faculty
  • Dean
  • Authorized representative for the organisation of the degree programme BSc Forensic Sciences
  • Study Advisor BSc Forensic Sciences
Thesis projects carried out in the Jäger lab at H-BRS

(students' university affiliations in brackets)

  • Bachelor Theses:

Joanne Robertson: Analysis of the Amount and Integrity of Low Copy Number DNA using Real-Time PCR (Robert Gordon University Aberdeen)

Maria del Mar Boronat: Relationship between DNA degradation and post-mortem interval (Universitat de Barcelona)

Anna Mona Rosendahl: Optimization of Loci Balance for Short Tandem Repeat Analysis by Next Generation Sequencing (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg)

Arthur Cleal: Quantitative PCR based analysis of DNA degradation (Robert Gordon University Aberdeen)

Jasmin Ewert: Establishment of a long-range PCR based NGS assay for high throughput sequencing of the human Parkinson's disease associated transporter genes SLC6A3 and SLC22A3 (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität Bonn)

Richard Tillmann: Establishment of Long-Range PCR assays for Next Generation Sequencing based Analysis of Parkinson Disease related Human Solute Carrier Genes (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg)

Sara-Sophie Poethe: Validation of a method using Illumina Next Generation Sequencing for forensic DNA typing (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg)

Leonie Kodron: Entwicklung eines kostengünstigen Multiplex-PCR-Assays für die Analyse von acht STR-Merkmalsystemen (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg)

Alina Frühwirt: Human Cell Line Authentication using STR Profiling: Effects of Passaging, Maltreatment, and Freezing on Microsatellite Stability (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg)

  • Master Theses:

Salvatore Trapani: Development and validation of a qPCR based technique to measure the quantity and integrity of dog DNA in forensics (Universita degli Studi di Palermo)

  • PhD Theses:

Glenn MG Theunissen: DNA profiling of single sperm cells and single skin flakes using micromanipulation and whole genome amplification (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg; Robert Gordon University Aberdeen)

Sarah Heß: Optimierung von STR-Profilen aus telogenen Einzelhaaren (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg; Universität zu Köln)

Curriculum vitae

  • Diploma in Biology (Zoology and Genetics) and Dr. rer nat. at University of Karlsruhe, Germany
  • 1997 Department of Clinical Research, University of Berne, Switzerland
  • 1999 Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Research Center Karlsruhe, Germany
  • 2002 Institute of Pathology, University Clinic Bonn, Germany
  • 2009 NCBES, Biochemistry, University of Galway, Ireland
  • since 2012: Professor of Biology, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

Memberships

International Society of Forensic Genetics

Research Projects

FunForGen

Individual variants in the DNA sequence (i.e. the linear sequence of the 4 DNA building blocks, the so-called bases) are called polymorphisms and can influence the function of genes and thus contribute to the clinical manifestation of diseases or influence their course and therapy. In addition, polymorphism patterns can be so characteristic for each individual that they also enable the forensic identification of perpetrators and victims on the basis of a DNA trace.

Project management at the H-BRS

Prof. Dr Richard Jäger
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IRaMic

The analysis of the microscopic distribution of compounds can help solving various analytical problems, many of which are relevant to safety and security. Ideally, the identification of compounds should be accomplished in a precise and quick way and leave the compounds undamaged. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy are complementary methods that are based on the distinct interactions of molecules with visible or infrared light. In the course of the project a coupled microscopic-spectroscopic platform was set up that allows for the analysis of spatially resolved dispersive and FT-Raman spectra, as well as FT IR spectra and IR microscopy. The ability to detect the distribution of smallest and particle-bound analytes will support and promote existing and novel R&D activities of several research groups.

Project management at the H-BRS

Prof. Dr Richard Jäger Prof. Dr Peter-Michael Kaul
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Publications

Originalarbeiten / Research Articles

Mozer, A., Di-Nizo, C.B., Consul, A., Huettel, B., Jäger, R., Akintayo, A., Erhardt, C., Fenner, L., Fischer, D., Forat, S., Gimnich, F., Grobe, P., Martin, S., Nathan, V., Saeed, A., von der Mark, L., Woehle, C., Olek, K., Misof, B. and Astrin, J.J. (2025) FOGS: A SNPSTR Marker Database to Combat Wildlife Trafficking and a Cell Culture Bank for Ex-Situ Conservation. Mol. Ecol. Resour. e14062.

Mozer, A., Consul, A., Misof, B., Jäger, R., Olek, K. & Astrin, J.J. (2024) Joint detection of microsatellites and flanking sequences – SNPSTR markers for Athene noctua to fight illegal wildlife trade. Forensic Sci Int: Animals and Environments 5: 100084.

Poethe, S.-S., Holtel, J., Biermann, Riemer, T., J.-P., Grabmüller, M., Madea, B., Thiele, R. & Jäger, R. (2023) Cost-Effective Next Generation Sequencing-Based STR Typing with Improved Analysis of Minor, Degraded and Inhibitor-Containing DNA Samples. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24, 3382.

Theunissen, G.M.G., Gibb, A., Kong Thoo Lin.P., Rolf, B., Forat., S. & Jäger, R. (2021) DNA profiling of single sperm cells after whole genome amplification. Forensic Sci Int: Reports 4: 100240.

Heß, S.A., Trapani, S., Boronat, M.d.M., Theunissen, G.M.G., Rolf, B. & Jäger, R. (2021) Ribosomal DNA as target for the assessment of DNA degradation of human and canine DNA. Legal Med. 48: 101819.

Heß, S.A., Biermann, J.-P., Grabmüller, M., Madea, B., Thiele, R. & Jäger, R. (2019) Evaluation of STR profiles of single telogen hairs using probabilistic methods. Forensic Sci Int: Genetics Suppl. 7: e454-e456.

Logue, S.E., McGrath, E.P., Cleary, P., Greene, S., Mnich, K., Almanza, A., Chevet, E., Dwyer, R.M., Oommen, A., Legembre, P., Godey, F., Madden, E.C., Leuzzi, B., Obacz, J., Zeng, Q., Patterson, J.B., Jäger, R., Gorman, A.M. & Samali, A. (2018) Inhibition of IRE1 RNase activity modulates the tumor cell secretome and enhances response to chemotherapy. Nature Commun. 15;9(1):3267.

Theunissen, G.M.G., Rolf, B., Gibb, A. & Jäger, R. (2017) DNA profiling of sperm cells by using micromanipulation and whole genome amplification. Forensic Sci Int: Genetics Suppl. 6: e497-e499.

Thewes, V., Orso, F., Jäger, R., Eckert, D., Schäfer, S., Kirfel, G., Garbe, S., Taverna, D. & Schorle, H. (2010) Interference with Activator Protein-2 transcription factors leads to induction of apoptosis and an increase in chemo- and radiation- sensitivity in breast cancer cells. BMC Cancer 10: 192.

Jäger, R., Schäfer, S., Hau-Liersch, M. & Schorle H. (2010) Loss of transcription factor AP-2gamma/TFAP2C impairs branching morphogenesis of the murine mammary gland. Dev. Dyn., 239: 1027-1033.

Orso, F., Jäger, R., Calogero, R.A., Schorle, H., Sismondi, P., De Bortololi, M. & Taverna, D. (2009) AP-2a regulates migration in GN11 neurons via a specific genetic program involving the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase. BMC Biology 7: 25.

Kurth, P., Moenning,A., Jäger, R., Beine, G. & Schorle, H. (2009) An activating mutation in the PDGF receptor alpha results in embryonic lethality caused by malformation of the vascular system. Dev. Dyn. 238: 1064-1072.

Moenning, A., Jäger, R., Egert, A., Wardelmann, E., Kress, W. & Schorle, H. (2009) Sustained platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha signalling in osteoblasts results in craniosynostosis by overactivating the phospholipase C-gamma pathway. Mol. Cell. Biol. 29: 881-891.

Schenkel, J., Weiher, H., Fürstenberger, G. & Jäger, R. (2008) Suprabasal bcl-2 expression does not sensitize to chemically induced skin cancer in transgenic mice. Anticancer Res. 28, 2825-2830.

Jäger, R., Pappas, L. & Schorle, H. (2008) Lactogenic differentiation of HC11 cells is not accompanied by downregulation of AP-2 transcription factor genes. BMC Research Notes 1: 29.

Peitz, M.*, Jäger, R.*, Patsch, C., Jäger, A., Egert, A., Schorle, H. & Edenhofer, F. (2007) Improved strategy for Cre protein transduction into embryonic stem cells. Genesis 45: 508-517. * equal contribution

Maurer, M., Fuchs, S., Jäger, R., Kurz, B., Sommer, L. & Schorle, H. (2007) Establishment and controlled differentiation of neural crest stem cell lines using conditional transgenesis. Differentiation 75: 580-591.

Jennemann, R., Sandhoff, R., Wang, S., Kiss, E., Gretz, N., Zuliani, C., Martin-Villalba, A., Jäger, R., Schorle, H., Kenzelmann, M., Bonrouhi, M., Wiegandt, H. & Gröne, H.-J. (2005) Cell specific deletion of glucosylceramide synthase in brain leads to  severe neural defects after birth. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 12459-12464.

Jäger, R., Hahne, J., Jacob., A., Egert, A., Schenkel, J., Wernert, J., Schorle, H. & Wellmann, A. (2005) Mice transgenic for NPM-ALK develop Non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Anticancer Res. 25: 3191-3196.

Pauls, K., Jäger, R., Weber, S., Wardelmann, E., Koch, A., Büttner, R. & Schorle, H. (2005) Transcription factor AP-2g, a novel marker of gonocytes and seminomatous germ cell tumors. Int. J. Cancer 115: 470-477.

Jäger, R., Friedrichs, N., Heim, I., Buettner, R. & Schorle, H. (2005) Dual role of AP-2g in ErbB-2-induced mammary tumorigenesis. Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 90: 273-280. 

Friedrichs, N., Jäger, R., Paggen, E., Rudlowski, C., Merkelbach-Bruse, S., Schorle, H. & Buettner, R. (2005) Distinct spatial expression patterns of AP-2alpha and AP-2gamma in non-neoplastic human breast and breast cancer. Modern Pathol. 18: 431-438.       

Jäger, R., Maurer, J., Jacob, A. & Schorle, H. (2004) Cell type-specific conditional regulation of the c-myc proto-oncogene by combining Cre/loxP recombination and tamoxifen-mediated activation. Genesis 38, 145-150.

Jäger, R., Werling, U., Rimpf, S., Jacob, A. & Schorle, H. (2003) Transcription factor AP-2g stimulates proliferation and apoptosis and impairs differentiation in a transgenic model. Mol. Cancer Res. 1: 921-929.

Lacher, M.D.., Siegenthaler, A., Jäger, R., Xi Yan, Hett, S., Xuan, L., Saurer, S., Lareu, R.R., Dharmarajan, A.M. & Friis, R. (2003) Role of DDC-4/sFRP-4, a secreted frizzled molecule, at the onset of mammary involution. Cell Death Differ. 10: 528-538.

Munarini, N.*, Jäger, R.*, Abderhalden, S., Zuercher, G., Rohrbach, V., Loercher, S., Pfanner-Meyer, B., Andres, A.-C. & Ziemiecki, A. (2002) Altered mammary epithelial development, pattern formation and involution in transgenic mice expressing the EphB4 receptor tyrosine kinase. J. Cell Sci. 115: 25-37. * equal contribution

Marti, A., Ritter, P.M., Jäger, R., Lazar, H., Baltzer, A., Schenkel, J., Declercq, W., Vandenabeele, P. & Jaggi, R. (2001) Mouse mammary gland involution is associated with cytochrome c release and caspase activation. Mech. Dev. 104: 89-98.

Murphy, K.L., Kitrell, F.S., Gay, J.P., Jäger, R., Medina, D. & Rosen, J.M. (1999) Bcl-2 expression delays mammary tumor development in dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-treated mice. Oncogene 18: 6597-6604.

Furth, P.A., Bar-Peled, U., Li, M., Lewis, A., Laucirica, R., Jäger, R., Weiher, H. & Russell, R.G. (1999) Loss of anti-mitotic effects of Bcl-2 with retention of anti-apoptotic activity during tumor progression in a mouse model. Oncogene 18: 6589-6596.

Schorr, K., Li, M., Lewis, A., Heredia, A., Lewis, B., Knudson, M., Korsmeyer, S.J., Jäger, R., Weiher, H. & Furth, P.A. (1999) Gain of Bcl-2 is more potent than Bax loss in regulating mammary epithelial cell survival in vivo. Cancer Res. 59: 2541-2545.

Jäger R., Herzer, U., Schenkel, J. & Weiher, H. (1997) Overexpression of Bcl-2 inhibits alveolar cell apoptosis during involution and accelerates c-myc-induced tumorigenesis of the mammary gland in transgenic mice. Oncogene 15: 1787-1795.

Humphreys, R.C., Krajewska, M., Krnacik, S., Jaeger, R., Weiher, H., Krajewski, S., Reed, J.C. &Rosen, J. M. (1996) Apoptosis in the terminal endbud of the murine mammary gland: a mechanism of ductal morphogenesis. Development 122: 4013-4022.

Schorpp, M., Jäger, R., Schellander, K., Wagner, E.F., Schenkel, J., Weiher, H. & Angel, P. (1996) The human ubiquitin C promoter directs high ubiquitous expresssion of transgenes in mice. Nucleic Acids Res. 24: 1787-1788.

Übersichtsartikel / Review Articles

Jäger, R. (2024) Genomic Multicopy Loci Targeted by Current Forensic Quantitative PCR Assays. Genes 15, 1299.

Jäger, R. (2022) New Perspectives for Whole Genome Amplification in Forensic STR Analysis. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 7090.

McGrath, E.P., Logue, S.E., Mnich, K., Deegan, S., Jäger, R., Gorman, A.M. & Samali, A. (2018) The Unfolded Protein Response in Breast Cancer. Cancers 10: 344.

Kennedy, D., Jäger, R., Mosser, D.D. & Samali, A. (2014) Regulation of apoptosis by heat shock proteins. IUBMB Life 66: 327–338.

Connolly, P.F., Jäger, R. & Fearnhead, H.O. (2014). New roles for old enzymes: killer caspases as the engine of cell behaviour changes. Front. Physiol. 5:149.

Vincenz, L., Jäger, R., O'Dwyer, M. & Samali, A. (2013) Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response: targeting the Achilles heel of multiple myeloma. Mol. Cancer Ther., 12: 831-843.

Jäger, R. & Fearnhead, H.O. (2012) "Dead cells talking": The silent form of cell death is not so quiet. Biochem. Res. Int. 2012: 453838.

Gorman, A.M., Healy, S.J.M., Jäger, R. & Samali, A. (2012) Stress management at the ER: regulators of ER stress-induced apoptosis. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 134: 306-316.

Jäger, R., Bertrand, M.J.M., Gorman, A.M., Vandenabeele, P. &Samali, A. (2012) The unfolded protein response at the crossroads of cellular life and death during ER stress. Biology of the Cell, 104: 259-270.

Jäger, R., Zwacka, R.M. (2010) The enigmatic roles of caspases in tumor development. Cancers 2: 1952-1979.

Jäger, R. (2007) Targeting the death machinery in mammary epithelial cells: implications for breast cancer from transgenic and tissue culture experiments. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 63: 231-240.

Eckert, D., Buhl, S., Weber, S., Jäger, R., Schorle, H. (2005) The AP-2 family of transcription factors. Genome Biology, 6: 246.1-246.8.

Buchbeiträge / Book Chapters

Weiher, H. & Jäger, R. (2021) Polymerase Chain Reaction. In: Wink (Ed.): An Introduction to Molecular Biotechnology. Fundamentals, Methods and Applications. 3rd edition (Wiley-VCH; ISBN 978-3-527-34414-7)

Weiher, H. & Jäger, R. (2021) DNA Sequencing. In: Wink (Ed.): An Introduction to Molecular Biotechnology. Fundamentals, Methods and Applications. 3rd edition (Wiley-VCH; ISBN 978-3-527-34414-7)

Kennedy, D., Samali, A. & Jäger, R. (2015) Methods for Studying ER Stress and UPR Markers in Human Cells.  Methods Mol Biol 1292: 3-18 (Springer; ISBN 978-1-4939-2521-6)

Behzad Y., Jäger R., Gorman A.M., Samali A. & Ghavami S. (2015) Induction of autophagy: role of endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded  protein response. In: Autophagy: Cancer, Other Pathologies, Inflammation, Immunity, Infection, and Aging, Volume 7 - Role of Autophagy in Therapeutic Applications (Academic Press; ISBN: 978-0128010433)

Samali, A. & Jäger, R. (2014) Mechanisms of Resistance to Cell Death Pathways in Cancer Cells. In: McManus LM, Mitchell RN (eds)​ Pathobiology of Human Disease: A Dynamic Encyclopedia of Disease Mechanisms, 1st edn., pp 393-402 (Elsevier; ISBN: 978-0-12-386457-4)

Jäger, R. & Fearnhead, H.O. (2013) Mitochondrial regulation of cell death. In: Mitochondria as Targets for Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention and Therapy (Springer; ISBN 978-1-4614-9325-9)

Verfaillie, T., Jäger, R., Samali, A. & Agostinis, P. (2012) ER stress signaling pathways in cell survival  and death. In: ER stress in health and disease (Springer; ISBN 978-94-007-4350-2)

Healy, S.J.M., Verfaillie, T., Jäger, R., Agostinis, P. & Samali, A. (2012) Biology of the endoplasmic reticulum. In: ER stress in health and disease (Springer; ISBN 978-94-007-4350-2)

Vincenz, L.., Szegezdi, E., Jäger, R., Holohan, C., O’Brien, T. & Samali, A. (2011) Cytokine-induced b-cell stress and death in type 1 diabetes mellitus. In: Type 1 Diabetes - Complications, Pathogenesis, and Alternative Treatments (Intech; ISBN 978-953-307-756-7)