The main task of our project is a delineation of regulatory processes maintaining Ca²⁺_i homeostasis in the beating heart. To this end we characterize the functional various ion channels and transporters in the cardiomyocyte and describe the relationship between cardiac performance and ion movements in the healthy and diseased heart.

It is also the aim of our studies to describe the processes responsible for cyclic changes of Ca²⁺_i in the perfused functioning heart. A quantitative analysis of the Ca²⁺_i transient is performed to expand the existing knowledge gained in in vitro studies (e.g. myocardial homogenates, isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum, isolated myocytes).

The understanding of regulation of Ca²⁺_i homeostasis will allow to extend the scope of our research to study the regulation of the Ca²⁺_i transient in transgenic mouse (MLP KO) modeling human cardiac failure.