The Helmholtz Munich is the German Research Center for Environmental Health. It investigates important common diseases which develop from the interaction of lifestyle, environmental factors and personal genetic background, focusing particularly on diabetes mellitus, allergies and chronic lung diseases. Its mission is to discover personalized solutions for the prevention and therapy of environmentally triggered diseases and promote a healthier society in a rapidly changing world.

The Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) of the Helmholtz Munich is a multi-disciplinary academic research structure strongly integrated with the Chair of Biological Imaging at the Technical University of Munich. IBMI research focuses on innovative optical and optoacoustic methods that enable novel visualization of living biological tissue. The Institute has 11 laboratories ranging from engineering to biological and medical research, is home to researchers from more than 25 different countries, and promotes independent career development and diversity. With a broad international presence and many prestigious awards, IBMI leads imaging and sensing technologies, advances biomedical discovery and translates novel sensing technologies to clinical applications.

Involved in SWOPT are the group of Andre C. Stiel (PI, Cell Engineering Group) who focuses on developing innovative agents for optical life-science imaging. In particular genetically encoded reporters and sensors for Optoacoustic and Fluorescence techniques. He is one of the pioneers in the use of photoswitching phenomena for Optoacoustic imaging and he studies photoswitching since its early days with uses in fluorescence super-resolution imaging in the laboratory of Stefan Hell. In SWOPT Andre is leading the work on developments of genetically encoded reporters and sensors tailored for SWOPT imaging and acting as a project coordinator.

The core of SWOPT, the development of instrumentation for high-resolution, deep tissue photoswitching optoacoustics, is led by Vasilis Ntziachristos (Department Head, IBMI). Prof. Naziachristos is one of the world’s most renowned experts in optoacoustics imaging, recognized as pioneer and entrepreneur in biomedical imaging. He has ample experience not only in academic research, but also in the clinical deployment of medical devices – with more than 27 patents in his name and 5 successful SME’s. Prof. Naziachristos is also the founding editor of the Journal Photoacoustics and is the recipient of major awards, e.g. the Gold Medal from the Society for Molecular Imaging (USA) or the Gottfried Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation, the top scientific distinction in Germany or the 2014 German Innovation Award for optoacoustic imaging.