The Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society - Tübingen, DE
https://www.fml.tuebingen.mpg.de/64407/aztekin-lab 

Speaker: Session 3  -  Redox Metabolism and Regeneration

Dr. Can Aztekin is Max Planck Research Group Leader and head of the Structural Regeneration Laboratory at the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory (FML) of the Max Planck Society in Tübingen, Germany. He initially started his lab at EPFL, Switzerland, in 2021 through the ELISIR Scholarship before moving to the Max Planck Society in 2025. Since then, he has led an independent research program at the FML, an institute dedicated to enabling outstanding early-career scientists to pursue innovative biological research.

His research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration, with particular emphasis on limb regeneration across vertebrate species. By studying systems such as frog tadpoles and mammalian models, his work seeks to understand why some organisms can regenerate complex structures while this capacity is limited in mammals—an evolutionary question with important biomedical implications. 

He has made important contributions to identifying the cellular programs that drive regeneration. His earlier work used single-cell RNA sequencing to map the cellular composition of regenerating tissues and revealed the existence of specialized epithelial signaling centers that orchestrate regeneration. Building on this, his group develops advanced experimental systems—including organoid and ex vivo limb culture models—to dissect how signaling networks control cell identity and tissue organization during regeneration. 

By integrating developmental biology with quantitative approaches such as single-cell genomics, imaging, and computational analysis, his research aims to uncover general principles that enable complex tissue restoration. This work bridges evolutionary biology and regenerative medicine, with the long-term goal of informing strategies to enhance regenerative capacity in humans. 

Dr. Aztekin has received several prestigious distinctions, including a Branco Weiss Fellowship and a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant for his project “Signal to Regeneration,” as well as the International Society of Regenerative Biology Rising Star Award, reflecting the growing international recognition of his contributions to regeneration biology. 

For more information, please follow this link: 
https://www.fml.tuebingen.mpg.de/64407/aztekin-lab